This week’s ITG Next Georgia 4 Questions segment features Thomas County Central athletic director Philip Duplantis, who has worked his way up from the ranks of assistant coach to his current position. He talks to us about the challenges of overseeing the Yellow Jacket athletic program and the process of moving from Class 4A to 6A during the most recent reclassification by the GHSA.
Q. Coach, talk about your career from your days as an assistant coach to where you are now as an athletic director at Thomas County Central. Where did it all start for you and what brought you to TCC?
A. I have been very blessed to have been around some great coaches. I got my start as a graduate assistant for strength and conditioning at LSU under Nick Saban. That opportunity shaped me as a coach and man. If you go back and look at those staffs in the early 2000s, it was a who’s who of great coaches. This gave me a foundation and understanding of what excellence truly looks like. I then moved into coaching high school football in metro Atlanta. I coached at Newton High School, West Forsyth High School, and Milton High School. Again, I was extremely blessed to be around a ton of great athletes and coaches, including Adam Clack and Ben Reaves Sr. I also think that doing a stint as a head middle school football coach gave me a tremendous opportunity to understand the administrative side of the game of football.
My family and I relocated to Thomas County Central High School when Ashley Henderson became the head football coach. Moving back to coach at such a tradition-rich program was a chance of a lifetime. I was the assistant head coach and strength and conditioning coordinator for three years. I ascended into the athletic director role during the middle of my third season and have been doing this job for almost two years.
My main background for coaching has been entrenched in strength and conditioning. It has been a passion of mine for many years. And I really enjoyed shaping a football team during the off season to ensure they were strong, physical and ready for a long playoff run. Strength and conditioning is also pure in nature and if done with great effort reaps great rewards for all sports. At every high school I have trained not only football but other sports for the athletic department.
Q. I think people tend to identify with the more successful and high-profile sports, but your position requires you to make sure every athletic program is doing its absolute best. What challenges does that present to you as the Thomas County Central athletic director?
A. The challenges are similar to any organization and include communication, expectations, and synergy. Communication with all parties in athletics leads to trust and respect. I do my absolute best to communicate with all of my coaches at the high school and middle school levels on a regular basis, no matter the time of year. I am always available to help our student athletes, coaches, and system as a whole. The more I am available for all groups involved in athletics, the more I can build rapport and trust. If coaches, students, and parents know you care and communicate on all levels, it makes everything easier.
As an athletic director I must set expectations for the organization. Thomas County Central has always had high expectations for athletics and it is my job to make sure our coaches and students understand how we should represent this system and community. I make sure everyone understands what we stand for and how important high standards in all areas are a non-negotiable.
It is also my job to make sure we as an athletic department are moving in the same directions and everyone is aware of the big picture. I use the term synergy to represent this concept. Every sport has its own style and mission statement to ensure its own unique identity, but all sports need to understand how we operate as an entire unit for maximum success in education and athletics.
Q. I mentioned in the introduction you overseeing this latest reclassification cycle that saw your program go from 4A to 6A. Can you talk about that process and both the opportunities and challenges it has presented?
A. The transition has been successful and smooth thus far. We are blessed to have a school system, school board, and community that make sure we have everything we need to be a first-class athletic program. We also have dedicated and hardworking coaches. We were successful in 4A for two years, so the coaches and athletes understand how to prepare for elite competition and have answered the call.
I have been very happy with how our off season preparation has been with all of our sports. While it is a challenge to jump up two classifications, our players and coaches were excited and ready for the competition. We are all learning and adjusting to the new classification, and our coaches have been second to none with their preparation for the new region competition.
The biggest concern for all of the schools in our region is travel. We are having to travel several times a season two to three hours each way to compete. We want to make sure our student athletes are prepared to compete as well as supported academically while dealing with the travel. The region 1-6A athletic directors have done a great job to make sure all the coaches and athletes are being supported as much as possible.
Q. Of course, there’s the good side of things, which includes the current state of the football program. Things seem to be going well so far, with the Jackets off to a great start.
A. We are very pleased with all of our fall sports thus far. Our football team has gotten off to a great start and so has fast pitch softball, cross country, and volleyball. Again, our coaches, administrators and student athletes have all answered the call to maximize success in competition and academics. Change is inevitable and we have embraced it, which has led to a great fall.
The best part of my job is watching young people develop over a four-year period. Winning is important, but more importantly we are preparing our young men and women to lead our nation very soon. Our school system and coaches are leading the charge to help create successful and well-rounded adults. Watching athletes grow in all areas of life is why I love my job!
