When talking to Christian Hunnicutt, offensive line coach at Lowndes County High School, two things become immediately apparent: his passion for football, and his love for the players. He prides himself in putting in the extra time and energy to create a successful environment for his student-athletes. And, he wants to see every player maximize his potential both on the field and throughout his life.
Though he did not play football in college, Hunnicutt says he “caught the bug” for coaching while studying education at the University of Georgia. He set out to study political science at UGA, but a roommate, Scott Wilkins, who currently serves as the head coach at Cedar Shoals High School in Athens, convinced his classmate to pursue a career in education. He recalled the teachers and coaches who made an impact in his life, and he felt that he was being called to teach. Soon after, he switched majors to education, and took the first steps along that path. According to the Hunnicutt, “There are so many similarities, to me, between really effective classroom teaching, and really effective coaching.”
Evaluating the similarities between his years in the classroom and in a field house, Hunnicutt said that the same principles hold true in either profession: curriculum, instruction, assessment, and environment. With two decades of coaching experience – including two years at North Clayton High School in College Park, 15 years at Buford, and a year at Peach County before moving to Lowndes County last fall – the offensive line coach brings a wealth of experience and perspective to the Vikings’ offense. Although the Marietta native enjoyed a successful 18-year career close to his Atlanta home, the opportunity to work under Lowndes Head Coach Randy McPherson and coach within Region 1 was too tempting to pass up.
“You think about football in Georgia, and the first thing that pops into anyone’s mind is Region 1. To be honest, I think anyone would love to compete in this region. You think about South Georgia football, you think about ‘Title Town,’ with the Lowndes-Valdosta rivalry. You think about Camden County and Colquitt County. So, obviously the football here is incredibly important to all of the communities,” the coach said.
However, in Lowndes County, Christian Hunnicutt believes he has found an element that other school systems may lack. The coach references a Jim Collins’ book titled Good to Great when contemplating a relentless pursuit of excellence in both athletics and academics. In his book, Collins identifies “level-five-leaders.” In Hunnicutt’s words, these people are great “leaders of industry who possess a combination of personal humility and professional wealth.” The Vikings assistant coach believes that LHS fosters this environment and thus facilitates an abundance of these leaders. He said, “There are so many leaders, so many coaches and administrators that really and truly possess an abundance of personal humility and professional wealth. They do not seek recognition, but their major focus is on what is best for the kids. That level-five-leader is pervasive in Lowndes County Schools.”
Concerning his role as the Viking’s O-line coach, Hunnicutt looks at his players as a team within a team. He says the line is a separate breed, and it takes time to develop the linemen individually as well as the overall culture that he hopes to cultivate within the group. He believes in investing himself not just in the player, but the person and the individual. The goal is not just to see them develop in the weight room or on the field. He also wants to see them develop into successful young men.
They have to be a group that is cohesive. They have to care about each other, and they have to trust each other. More than their performance on the field or in the classroom, Hunnicutt strives to instill some values that he hopes will transcend the lesson at hand. He hopes to see his students and players gain insight that will help them for the rest of their lives.
Looking back on a 2013 season where the Lowndes team was outscored 65-14 by the top two teams in the state (Colquitt and Norcross), the coach states simple expectations for his players leading up to the quickly approaching season: “Be committed through June, July, and August. That is the first expectation. Next, just have short-term focus for period to period improvement and daily improvement.” He believes that if the team is “process driven,” the score will take care of itself.
He said, “We cannot control what Rush Propst (Colquitt County’s head coach) thinks. We cannot control what Coach Maloof thinks in Norcross or what players they have. For me, our focus has always been on Lowndes improving more than anyone else… Obviously, they’re both championship caliber programs with talented and committed coaches and players. I can’t control what they do or don’t have. The only thing I can control is making sure we’re doing everything possible.”
Coach’s Corner / South Georgia / July 2014
Christian Hunnicutt
Lowndes County High School
Valdosta, GA
Performance and Passion: The Process of Coaching an Offensive Line
