Gregory, Garvin among 16 new head coaches in Class 2A
Number of hires: 16
Best hire: Rodney Garvin, Vidalia
Hardest to replace: Shaun Pope, Putnam County
Best job: Fellowship Christian
Toughest job: Sumter County
Most interesting: Lenny Gregory resigned at Collins Hill in December, 12 months after winning a state title in the highest classification. In January, he took a job at Gordon Central, a Class 2A program on a 21-game losing streak while playing in the shadow of nearby Calhoun. “I’ve never coached or lived in a small town, and I’ve always wanted to do that,” Gregory told GHSF Daily. “My wife and I are looking for a bit of a change and wanted to go to a beautiful part of the state. I’ll try to use the blueprint I’ve used at my last two schools and build a championship program.”
Region 1
*Berrien promoted quarterbacks coach Ken Eldridge to replace Tim Alligood, who is now the linebackers coach at Jeff Davis. Eldridge was head coach at Coffee (2008-11) and Swainsboro (2013-15). Berrien was 7-5 last season, its first winning record since 1995, and won its first playoff game since 1991.
*Dodge County hired Wheeler County coach Thomas Smith to replace Ray Hardin, who retired. Smith was 11-20 in three seasons at Wheeler County, which had won only two games the previous two seasons. The 2022 Wheeler County team reached the playoffs for the first time since 2016. Smith was coach at the GIAA’s Toombs Academy the 10 seasons prior and had a 64-48 record and won a Class A title in 2013. Dodge was 4-6 last season and 11-10 in Hardin’s two seasons.
*Sumter County promoted defensive coordinator Will Rogers to replace Clifford Fedd, who became head coach at Griffin. Rogers joined Sumter’s staff in 2022 and previously coached at Dutchtown, Creekside and Valdosta. While coordinating Dutchtown’s defense in 2018, he persuaded reluctant sophomore running back Will Anderson to move to defensive end, a move that the NFL first-round draft pick later called life-changing. Sumter County has won one game each of the past three seasons.
Region 2
*Central (Macon) hired Salem coach Jarrett Laws to replace Joaquin Sample, who is now Houston County's ninth-grade head coach. Laws has been head coach at Mount Zion in Jonesboro (2007-09), Drew (2009-13), Griffin (2014-16) and Salem (2016-22) and made the playoffs at each school. Central, 3-8 in 2022, was 16-36 in five years under Sample and won its only playoff game in 34 years in 2020.
*Rutland hired Burke County defensive coordinator Anthony Williams to replace Jamarcus Johnson, who is now Mary Persons’ offensive line coach. Johnson was Burke County’s defensive coordinator for the past 14 years and served as Burke County’s interim coach for three games last season when head coach Eric Parker was recovering from a heart attack. Williams previously worked at Southeast Bulloch. Rutland’s 5-5 finish in 2022 was its best since 2013.
Region 3
*Toombs County hired its athletic director, Buddy Martin, to replace Richie Marsh, who became head coach at Frostproof in Florida. Martin also was Toombs’ defensive coordinator last season. He came to Toombs with Marsh in 2016 after serving as head coach at Hardee in Florida, where his teams were 40-25 in six seasons. Toombs was 46-31 in seven seasons under Marsh.
*Vidalia hired Metter coach Rodney Garvin to replace Jason Cameron, who is now Calvary Day's offensive coordinator. Garvin led Metter to 52 victories in five seasons. He was Vidalia’s defensive coordinator for 11 seasons before taking the Metter job in 2018. Metter was 3-7 the season before it hired Garvin, who led the Tigers to a 6-4 record in his debut, then to four quarterfinals and two semifinals. Metter was 9-4 in 2022 and lost in the Class A Division I quarters to eventual champion Prince Avenue Christian. Vidalia was 16-15 in three seasons under Cameron and 6-4 in 2022, missing the playoffs for the first time since 2011.
Region 4
*Josey promoted defensive coordinator Lawrence Pinkney, an alumnus, to replace John Starr II. Pinkney has been Josey’s defensive coordinator the past four seasons and ran Laney’s defense two seasons prior. He was a member of Florida’s 2007 and 2009 national championship teams. Josey was 8-30 in Starr’s four seasons in 2-7 in 2022. Starr has relocated to the Washington, D.C., area.
*Putnam County hired Early County coach Joel Harvin to replace Shaun Pope, who retired. Coaching at his alma mater, Harvin led Early County's 2022 team to its first region title since 2003. Harvin inherited a team that had gone 1-8-1 in 2016 and went 33-32 in six seasons. Putnam County was 38-19 in five seasons with Pope and won a 2021 region title.
Region 5
*Redan hired Southwest DeKalb coach Damien Wimes to replace Derek Vaughn, who is now coaching offense and special teams on Stephenson’s staff. Wimes was 39-24 with two region titles in six seasons at Southwest DeKalb, his alma mater, but was forced out following a 2-8 season in which the Panthers lost four region games by six points or less. Redan, another DeKalb County school, has not had a winning season or made the playoffs since 2007.
*Towers hired Bethune Middle coach Henry Garrett to replace John Bowen, who retired. Garrett spent the first seven years of his professional career coaching multiple sports at Bethune, Tower’s feeder school, which he led to the DeKalb middle school football title in 2018. He’s a Nashville native and UT-Martin graduate who interned on football staffs at Vanderbilt and Georgia State as a recruiting/staff assistant. Towers was 0-9-1 in one season under Bowen, whose 25 seasons as a head coach covered seven Georgia schools, typically those he found in poor shape.
Region 6
*South Atlanta hired Woodland of Stockbridge defensive coordinator Jeff Franklin to replace Michael Woolridge, who became head coach at Pebblebrook. Franklin, a Chicago native, has coached at South Gwinnett in Georgia, Chicago Bulls Prep in his home state and Bridgton Academy in Maine. He’s made college stops at Holy Cross, Wabash College, Wright State and Central State and worked internationally for the Milano Daemons in Italy and the Minas Locomotives in Brazil. He’s in alma mater Central State’s sports hall of fame. South Atlanta was 11-1 and 11-2 in two seasons under Woolridge.
*Walker promoted offensive coordinator and associate head coach T.J. Anderson to replace Tom Evangelista, who is not coaching this year. Anderson is a former star running back at South Gwinnett and Georgia Southern and played arena football. He’s been on staffs at Westminster, Mountain View and Etowah and was Georgia Southern’s director of high school relations in 2018. Anderson will be Walker’s sixth coach since 2019. The program has won three games since 2020 and will play a non-region schedule for the second consecutive season.
Region 7
*Gordon Central hired Collins Hill coach Lenny Gregory to replace T.J. Hamilton, who is now on Southeast Whitfield’s staff. Gregory was 46-28 in six seasons at Collins Hill and led the Eagles to the 2021 Class 7A championship with the nation’s No. 1 recruit, Travis Hunter. Gregory was Centennial’s head coach in 2014-15 and was on Grayson’s staff for a 2011 state championship. Gordon Central has finished 0-10 the past two seasons.
Region 8
*Fellowship Christian promoted defensive coordinator John Thompson to replace Tim McFarlin, who is now Georgia Tech's high school relations director. Thompson is a former defensive coordinator or co-coordinator at Ole Miss, Florida, Arkansas and South Carolina. He was East Carolina’s head coach in 2003 and 2004 and was Georgia State’s first defensive coordinator under coach Bill Curry and served from 2008 to 2011. Thompson, 67, joined Fellowship’s staff in 2021. Fellowship Christian has won region titles each of the past four seasons and was 10-4 in 2022.
*Providence Christian hired Tattnall Square associate head coach John Russ to replace Joe Sturdivant, who became head coach at Parkview. Russ is a former Mill Creek and Mercer quarterback who has coached at Mercer, Georgia State, Hebron Christian and Cherokee Bluff. Providence was 2-8 in Sturdivant’s lone season.
