Coaches from around Southeast Georgia got a chance to take a break from the heat and hard work of summer practice to relax and enjoy some of the best food around at the In The Game Southeast Georgia’s Seventh Annual Coaches Kickoff Dinneer.
Publisher, Shawn Smoak, welcomed the coaches to CrabDaddy’s, an institution on St. Simons Island that has been the sponsor of the Coaches Kickoff Dinner for the last seven years.
“CrabDaddy’s is my favorite restaurant and they have been absolutely amazing each year that we have come here for the kickoff dinner,” Smoak said.
In between the many courses of some of the best fresh seafood on the Georgia Coast, coaches had a chance to catch up about how spring football was going and what each of them thought about the upcoming season. In the Game Radio, hosted by Rob Asbell, gave coaches an opportunity to come by and chat about their programs. Ed Lovvron, the new head coach at Jeff Davis County, was buzzing about how hard his players had been working in the weight room and the gains that the team saw overall during spring. Lovvorn is starting his first season as head coach, but he has been the defensive coordinator and continues to run the defense as head coach.
“It’s different than just being an assistant, a lot more off field duties and paperwork, and my cell phone stays on,” Lovvron said.
Lovvron isn’t the only new head coach in the southeast Georgia area. Toombs County hired Richard Marsh. Before making the “Pit” his new home, Marsh was the defensive coordinator at Southeastern University since 2013, a small Christian school in Lakeland, Florida. Marsh has some impressive credentials, taking Thomasville to the state playoffs seven times in eight seasons as head coach.
Bacon County also has a new head coach leading the Raiders. Kyle Langford, who served as defensive coordinator under former Red Raider head coach Ken Cofer. Langford’s defense was instrumental in the renaissance of Bacon County over the past two seasons.
The biggest change in the coaching ranks was at Wayne County where Camden County Assistant Head Coach, Derek Chastain, moved in to take his first head coaching job after spending so many years as the bedrock of the Wildcat program.
Coastal Pines Technical College provided gift bags to all of the coaches and guests. The college is one of the greatest supporters of local schools and their extracurricular activities. Coastal Pines President, Dr. Glen Diebert, spoke about the expansion of the campus and how the new “Move on When Ready” program was one of the most exciting, cutting-edge programs anywhere.
“We all love football and live sports, but you also have to realize that not everyone may be talented enough to play at the next level. Everyone is going to have go to school and learn to do something for a career. The programs that we have at Coastal Pines are allowing students to have choices and learning experiences that are going to help them get a job,” Diebert said.
Georgia has launched a program, “Move on When Ready” which is giving high school students an opportunity to take college classes and earn college credit while in high school.
“Move on When Ready is going to allow students to get such a head start on college and also saving their parents money,” Diebert said.
Coaches from Camden, Liberty, Frederica, Glynn Academy, Brunswick, Bradwell, Toombs, Vidalia, Brantley, McIntosh County Academy, Jeff Davis, Bacon County, and Ware County attended this year’s Coach’s Dinner at CrabDaddy’s, located at the corner of Ocean Boulevard and Arnold Road near the entrance to The King and Prince Beach & Golf Resort on St. Simons Island. Crabdaddy’s is open every evening from 5-10 p.m. For catering, call (912) 634-1120.
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ITG Kick Off Dinner A Success
Written by John Wood
