Every year produces changes in leadership at the helms of programs across the state, but the state of Georgia has experienced a spike in these relocations as the 2017 season approaches.
Loren Maxwell of the Georgia High School Football Historians Association told Todd Holcomb of the Atlanta Journal Constitution the following facts regarding coaching changes during this tumultuous offseason:
- This off-season’s 97 openings trail only the 101 from 2008.
- Comparatively, last year (2016) produced only 79 coaching changes.
- However, the 23.1 percent turnover rate from this year is only slightly above the 22.6 percent historical average among GHSA schools since 1948.
- Reigning as champion as the most unstable off-season for head coaches, the 1970s had a 25.1 percent turnover rate
Here is a comprehensive list of the head coaching changes that have taken place as we head into the 2017 season:
Appling County – Jon Lindsey has replaced J.T. Pollock
Atkinson County – Carl McGowan has replaced David Parker
Baconton Charter – Randy Grace has replaced Johnny Hayes
Baldwin – Jesse Hicks has replaced Lee Hannah
Bleckley County – Von Lassiter has replaced Tracy White
Bradwell Institute – Ross Couch has replaced Greg Hill
Brunswick – Sean Pender has replaced Larry Harold
Bryan County – Mark Wilson has replaced Allen Cartwright
Buford – John Ford has replaced Jess Simpson
Calvary Day – Mark Stroud has replaced Rick Tomberlin
Camden County – Bob Sphire has replaced Welton Coffey
Campbell – Kyle Adkins has replaced Ryan Brady
Carver (Columbus) – Calvin Arnold has replaced Dremail King
Cedartown – Doyle Kelley has replaced Scott Hendrix
Centennial – Michael Perry has replaced Lenny Gregory
Central (Carrollton) – Darius Smiley has replaced Larry Kesler
Central (Macon) – Larry Harold has replaced Jesse Hicks
Claxton – Tony Welch has replaced Rodrick Williams
Coahulla Creek – Caleb Bagley has replaced Chad Barger
Collins Hill – Lenny Gregory has replaced Kevin Reach
Columbia – Brian Montgomery has replaced David Edwards
Creekside – Artutro Meza has replaced Will Rogers
Dutchtown – Clifford Fedd has replaced Mark Myers
Early County – Joel Harvin has replaced Trey Woolf
East Coweta – John Small has replaced Steve Pardue
East Jackson – Scott Wilkins has replaced Christian Hunnicutt
East Paulding – Billy Shackelford has replaced Jon Lindsey
Fitzgerald – Tucker Pruitt has replaced Jason Strickland
Flowery Branch – Ben Hall has replaced Chris Griffin
Gilmer – Casey Wingard has replaced Casey Wingard
Gordon Central – Cory Nix has replaced David Humphreys
Grayson – Christian Hunnicutt has replaced Jeff Herron
Haralson County – Scott Peavey has replaced Frank Vohun
Hart County – Rance Gillespie has replaced William Devane
Hebron Christian – Jeff Saturday has replaced Kevin Shaffer
Holy Innocents – Todd Winter has replaced Ryan Livezey
Houston County – Ryan Crawford has replaced Von Lassiter
Jeff Davis – Lance Helton has replaced Ed Lovvorn
Jefferson – Gene Cathcart has replaced Ben Hall
Johns Creek – Matt Helmerich has replaced Matt Kemper
Kell – Brett Sloan has replaced Derek Cook
Lamar County – John Flath has replaced Bryan Love
Lithia Springs – Kevin Hill has replaced Jason Dukes
Long County – J.T. Pollock has replaced Eric McNair
Luella – Jason Jackson has replaced Nick Vasilchek
M.L. King – Deante Lamar has replaced Nicolas Kashama
McIntosh County Academy – Terel Toomer has replaced Robby Robinson
Milton – Adam Clack has replaced Howie DeCristofaro
Mitchell County – Deshon Brock has replaced Larry Cornelius
Monroe Area – Kevin Reach has replaced Joey Sulkowski
Mount Zion (Carroll) – Brad Gordon has replaced Keith Holloway
Newnan – Chip Walker has replaced Mike McDonald
North Gwinnett – Bill Stewart has replaced Bob Sphire
North Oconee – Tyler Aurandt has replaced Terry Tuley
North Springs – Scott Harper has replaced Dan Devine
Northeast – Ashley Harden has replaced Bruce Mullen
Northgate – Kelsey Dalrymple has replaced Tommy Walburn
Northview – James Thomson has replaced Chad Davenport
Osborne – R.C. Helton has replaced Troy Jones
Pacelli – Mark LeGree has replaced Buster Connally
Peachtree Ridge – Reggie Stancil has replaced Mark Fleetwood
Perry – Kevin Smith has replaced Carl Dixon
Pierce County – Jason Strickland has replaced Sean Pender
Pope – Tab Griffin has replaced Kyle Adkins
Providence Christian – Parker Conley has replaced Ken Robinson
Roswell – Matt Kemper has replaced John Ford
Sandy Creek – Brett Garvin has replaced Chip Walker
Savannah – David Roberson has replaced Tony Welch
Shaw – Al Pellegrino has replaced Chuck Stamey
Sonoraville – Denver Pate has replaced Jim Kremer
South Cobb – Terry Jones has replaced Sherrod Rainge
South Gwinnett – Steve Davenport has replaced John Small
Southwest DeKalb – Damien Wimes has replaced Fletcher Salter
Sprayberry – Brett Vavra has replaced Billy Shackelford
Statesboro – Jeff Kaiser has replaced Steve Pennington
Stone Mountain – James Collier has replaced Utavius Ingram
Swainsboro – Scott Roberts has replaced Mark Stroud
Tattnall County – Nick Tatum has replaced Jeff Kaiser
Therrell – Greg Sullivan has replaced Dominic Callaway
Turner County – Leroy Hood has replaced Ben Simmons
Twiggs County – Zackery Harris has replaced Ashley Harden
Union Grove – Chad Frazier has replaced Craig Melton
Villa Rica – Rico Zackery has replaced Chad Frazier
Washington-Wilkes – Chad Alligood has replaced Jacob Kelley
Wayne County – Ken Cribb has replaced Derek Chastain
West Forsyth – Shawn Cahill has replaced Adam Clack
West Laurens – Kagan McClain has replaced Stacy Nobles
White County – Tim Cokely has replaced Bill Ballard
Woodland (Stockbridge) – Bryan Love has replaced Steve Davenport
Worth County – Ben Simmons has replaced Jason Tone
Still open (as of July 17th, 2017):
Forest Park: Dale Myers
Jenkins: Tim Adams
Lithonia: Marcus Jelks
Pinecrest Academy: Todd Winter
Randolph-Clay: Daniel McFather
Riverside Military: Kelly Davis
Strong Rock Christian: Tommy Webb
Taylor County: Mark Wilson
Towers: Brian Montgomery
In the Game Magazine / South Georgia / August – September 2017
Fast Break
Under New Management: Head Coaching Changes Across the State
Written by Cole Parker
