We spoke to new Lowndes Athletic Director Danny Redshaw about his history with the Vikings and what fans of Lowndes athletics can expect under his leadership.
Q: Coach Redshaw, congratulations on your new position at Lowndes High School. What and when was the first job you had at Lowndes?
A: Milt Miller hired me in 1997 as the head baseball coach and assistant football coach.
Q: You led the Lowndes baseball team to a lot of wins as head coach. You also coached some players that went on to become well known in the world of MLB. Can you share about your time as head coach, the success you had, and some of those well known players that you coached?
A: I was very fortunate to be surrounded by some great assistant coaches and talented players who were coachable and were not afraid to work. We had close to 100 players sign to play at the next level in 18 years and 12 play professionally.
Some of the best we ever had played on the 2000 and 2001 teams that won a state title and a runner-up. Several of those went on to play professionally including Javon Moran, who was an All-American at Auburn; Jordan Crews, Georgia Tech; Zane Green, Clemson; and Stephen Drew, FSU.
Drew obviously had the best professional career as he earned a couple World Series rings. The amazing thing is the four I mentioned above were some of the hardest working young men I ever coached.
Q:You have obviously seen a lot change during your time at Lowndes. What do you say has been the biggest change for the entire county school program?
A: Without a doubt, the biggest change athletically I’ve seen in my 25 years at Lowndes is the development of a culture of winning and success in all sports. For example, we won 13 region titles during the 2021-22 school year. We’ve been able to attract and develop great coaches who have built successful programs. We have three great middle school athletic programs, which help prepare our athletes for their progression to Lowndes High. Our student-athletes buy into what we’re building. Our athletic facilities are second to none.
From a school system perspective, we have developed into one of the best in the entire state – not just athletically, but academically, mentally, and socially as well. We’re building new schools, and we’re providing opportunities for our students to succeed in life. That would not be possible without the support of the teaching and leadership we have at the school and county levels.
Q: What can the fans of Lowndes athletics expect to see under your tenure? Any major changes?
A: We’re going to continue to build on what we have, and we’ll continue to search for ways to improve all of our athletic programs. The goal is to have the best programs, the best coaches, and the best teams in the state of Georgia and to prepare our student-athletes for life after high school and beyond.
