Climbing the coaching ladder can be tough. There is also risk when moving into smaller programs. But building success can bring rewards. New Brunswick Pirates head football coach Larry Harold knows exactly what that feels like. After being an assistant at some strong programs, Harold landed his first head-coaching job at Macon County (Montezuma, Ga.).
Harold was ready to apply everything he has learned as a player in college and through his time as an assistant. Macon County has been a strong program at different times in the past but it had full into decay and Harold ended up the right man for the task.
Macon County finished 4-7 in 2012, the season before Harold arrived. Harold took the Bulldogs through 11 games in the 2013 season, finishing 6-5. Last season, Macon County started to reclaim its spot on the Class AA football map.
“The one thing that I learned about being a head football coach of a small school was the closeness of the community to the program. Friday nights are only a small part of the job. Outside of running the program, you have budgets to manage, and you are also the face of the program. Besides teaching duties, I was also the athletic director, so I learned a lot that helped me to be a better coach,” Harold says.
Led by current University of Georgia linebacker Roquan Smith, who did double duty as a linebacker and running back for Macon County, Harold’s Bulldogs finished 5-0 in Region 4-AA, with a win against Lamar County clinching the region title. The Bulldogs finished 9-3 with a quarterfinal loss to Lovett.
“In a rural area, sports are big draw for kids. There’s not as much to do as there is in the country, and football and school are sometimes all these kids have. Over my time as a player and coach, God has revealed to me the importance of strong coaches in players’ lives. Some of these kids do not have a strong male role model at home, and coaches have a chance to really be a strong influence in their lives. I want seize that opportunity to help those kids that need guidance to make better decisions and go on to be good citizens. Winning games is important, but at the end of the day, we want to build up strong young men that are going to be good fathers, husbands, and employees,” Harold says.
Harold grew up in Atlantic City, New Jersey, but finished high school in Alabama. He ended up signing with Southern University as an offensive lineman, where he won three SWAC Championships. Playing college football helped him to learn to really understand the game, but it also helped him appreciate the importance of education. Harold was the first person in his family to graduate from college.
The commitment that Harold gives to his players is unflinching and unwavering. An example of that commitment was on display for a national audience, when Smith was set to announce his college choice in front of the ESPN cameras on National Signing Day 2015. As a four-star recruit, many were hot on Smith’s trail; eventually he chose UCLA. However, coaching is a business, and the Bruins’ defensive coordinator, Jeff Ulberich, decided to join the staff of the Atlanta Falcons.
On Harold’s counsel, Smith didn’t fax his National Letter of Intent, which kept the 29th-ranked player of the 2015 ESPN 150 a hot commodity. A man of strong faith, Harold just simply said it was an act of God. Georgia’s Mark Richt, Texas A&M’s Kevin Sumlin, and Michigan’s Jim Harbaugh all made final runs at Smith. Once the dust settled, Smith ended up staying in his home state, choosing the University of Georgia.
“I reminded Coach Richt that Georgia plays my alma mater (Southern University) this season; I told him they need to take it easy on my boys,” Harold says.
Just as one of his best players moved to the next chapter of his life, Harold was blessed with his own opportunity to move up on the coaching ladder. In February 2015, Harold was hired at Brunswick High School as the head football coach.
“Honestly, this is one of the best jobs in the state,” Harold says. “Just the fact that you are in the Golden Isles and close to the beach is pretty awesome, but there is a lot of history here, and there is tremendous community support. Plus, my wife likes to shop and go places, and there are lots of things to with the kids. I am really excited to be here. Our new high school is absolutely amazing, and we just won a state championship with the boys’ basketball team.”
Only having been in Brunswick for a few months, Harold has seen a strong work ethic in the weight room and on the field; but there is always room for improvement. Though Harold has a football player’s frame and could probably still line up in an impressive three-point stance, he learned in college that it takes more than imposing size to be successful.
“I am a technique guy,” he says. “I believe in teaching technique, because at some point you are going to run up against a team that has just as much talent, and stronger technique will be the deciding factor. Mistakes in games create losses, but those also compound. I try to put it in terms they can understand. For example, I told them after the Ware defensive camp, your girl just doesn’t all of a sudden decide to leave you, she gives you signs, and that’s your opportunity to fix problems. In a game, if you keep fumbling or turning the ball over and do not try to fix the problem, you are going to lose the game.”
SE-CC-8.15-LarryHarold
Harold is ready to sail the Pirates ship
By John Wood
