Five new coaching openings bring offseason total to 12

Recent openings at Northview, Alpharetta, Central Gwinnett, Lithia Springs and Etowah bring to 12 the number of football teams making coaching changes this offseason.

Northview announced its opening Monday as Scott Schwarzer resigned and will remain as athletic director to direct the search. Northview is a north Fulton County Class 4A school that has not won more than two games in a season since 2019.

Another north Fulton school, Alpharetta, will replace Jason Kervin after five seasons. Kervin led four playoff teams, one that finished 8-4 in 2022. The Raiders were 1-9 this season playing in Class 6A.

Larry Harold is out at Central Gwinnett after three seasons. Central has not had a winning team since 2015, although Harold’s first team that went 5-5 was close. The Black Knights were 4-6 this season. Harold was NFL and former Georgia star Roquan Smith’s coach at Macon County a decade ago.

Corey Jarvis won’t return at Lithia Springs of Douglas County. Jarvis had led the Lions to their first four state-playoff berths in history (2019-22), but they were 2-8 and 1-9 the past two years.

Etowah in Cherokee County is looking to replace Matt Kemper, whose teams were 13-37 in five seasons. Etowah hasn’t won a playoff game since 2014. Kemper had led Roswell, Johns Creek and Pope to region titles before taking the Etowah job in 2020.

Coaching changes at the GHSA’s 415 football-playing schools typically number between 75 and 100 each offseason.

Openings with former coach:

Alpharetta - Jason Kervin

Berrien - Ken Eldridge

Central Gwinnett - Larry Harold

Dalton - Kit Carpenter

Etowah - Matt Kemper

Lithia Springs - Corey Jarvis

*Loganville - Gene Cathcart/Stephen Smith

Marietta - Richard Morgan

Northside-Warner Robins - Ben Bailey

Northview - Scott Schwarzer

South Forsyth - Troy Morris

Southeast Whitfield - Todd Murray

*Smith was interim coach when Cathcart stepped down midseason.