Pope’s O’Sullivan among 14 new coaches in Class 6A

Number of hires: 14

Best hire: Sean O’Sullivan, Pope

Hardest to replace: Gary Varner, Allatoona

Best job: Blessed Trinity

Toughest job: Rockdale County

Most interesting: Two Class 6A head coaches in Region 5 made lateral moves in their own school systems and will face their former teams this season. In Douglas County, New Manchester hired Olten Downs from Alexander. In Paulding County, Paulding hired Eric “Sumo” Robinson from South Paulding. In both cases, the coach’s former team beat his new team in 2022. GHSF Daily last season researched and reported the 44 times this century that a coach had faced his former team in his first year at his new job. One was Jefferson’s Travis Noland facing Oconee County in 2022. So it’s not especially uncommon but has happened only 12 times in the same school system since 2000. The most memorable was probably Shane Queen leaving his alma mater, South Cobb, for North Cobb in 2006.

Region 1

*Northside (Warner Robins) hired Peach County offensive coordinator Ben Bailey to replace Chad Alligood, who is now Jones County's athletic director. Bailey was Houston County’s offensive coordinator from 2019 to 2021. Bailey coached on Lee County’s 2018 team that beat Northside for the Class 6A title. He started his coaching career at alma mater Dooly County. Northside was 21-15 in three seasons under Alligood and 7-5 in 2022.

Region 2

*South Effingham hired Morgan County offensive coordinator Loren Purvis to replace Nathan Clark, who is back on Lee County's staff as special teams coordinator and tight ends coach. Purvis was South Effingham’s offensive coordinator in 2019 and 2020. He also has coached at Prince Avenue Christian and Dacula. He’s a former Irwin County quarterback. South Effingham was 13-27 in Clark’s four seasons and 4-5 in 2022.

Region 3

*Rockdale County hired Johnson of Savannah coach Kenderrick Bonner to replace Lee Hannah, who is now Douglas County’s defensive coordinator. Bonner took over Johnson when it was on a 23-game losing streak and improved it each season, peaking last year at 5-5, the Atom Smashers’ first non-losing season since 2009. Bonner is a former standout player at Burke County, where he began his coaching career. Rockdale County has won two games in the past three seasons.

Region 4

None

Region 5

*Alexander hired Grayson offensive coordinator Cody Neal to replace Olten Downs, who became head coach at New Manchester. Neal is a former Harrison and LaGrange College player who was on South Paulding’s staff for eight seasons, finishing up as offensive coordinator, before going to Grayson in 2022. He worked as a community coach at Harrison for five years and at Kennesaw Mountain for one. Alexander was 8-11 in Downs’ two seasons and 3-7 in 2022.

*New Manchester hired Alexander coach Olten Downs to replace Cedric Jackson, who is now assistant head coach and defensive line coach at Newnan. Downs’ Alexander teams were 8-11 in two seasons and 12-14 the three seasons prior at Westover. He’s best known as the coach who led Creekside to a state title in 2013. New Manchester was winless in 2022, two seasons after winning its only region title in history, and lost to Downs’ Alexander team 48-14.

*Paulding County hired South Paulding coach Eric “Sumo” Robinson to replace Umbrah Brown, who became head coach at Central in Carroll County. South Paulding was 8-4 in Robinson’s only full season and 7-2 after he took over after two games in 2021. Robinson was at South Paulding for three seasons. Robinson has been on staffs at Mundy’s Mill, Hughes, Douglas County and alma mater Creekside. Paulding County was 6-5 in Brown’s only season and reached the playoffs for the first time since 2017.

*South Paulding hired Pebblebrook offensive coordinator Maurice Allen to replace Eric “Sumo” Robinson, who became head coach at Paulding County. Allen, an Army veteran, has assisted at West Orange and Freedom in his native Florida, Elgin in Texas and Ware County. South Paulding was 8-4 last season.

Region 6

*Allatoona hired Loganville coach Brad Smith to replace Gary Varner, who retired. Smith has been Loganville’s coach the past three seasons and led the Red Devils to a 9-2 finish last year, their best record since 2016. Smith had been Calhoun’s running backs coach for one season when Loganville hired him. He’s been on staffs at North Murray, Dalton, Flowery Branch, Chestatee and Sonoraville. Smith will be Allatoona’s second head coach. Varner started the program in 2008 and won four region titles and the Class 5A championship in 2015. Allatoona was 6-6 last season.

*Woodstock hired West Forsyth defensive coordinator Dan Devine to replace Troy Hoff, who returned to Eastside as offensive line coach. Devine, a New York native, has been a head coach at Hickory Grove and Catawba Christian in North Carolina and North Springs in Georgia over his 20-year career. He’s assisted at Alpharetta, Etowah and Hopeville, N.C. At North Springs for one season, 2016, his team was 6-5, the program’s first winning season in 18 years. Woodstock has lost 22 consecutive games.

Region 7

*Blessed Trinity hired Winder-Barrow coach Ed Dudley to replace Tom Hall, who retired. Dudley’s coaching record is 214-120, and his victory total ranks eighth among active GHSA coaches. He has led programs at Buford (1992-94), Walton (1995-2008), Ware County (2009-13) and Winder-Barrow (2018-22). He won five region titles at Walton and led Ware County to two region titles, four 10-win seasons and a 2012 Class 5A runner-up finish. Blessed Trinity was 7-4 last season, Hall’s second. The Titans won Class 4A titles in 2017, 2018 and 2019.

*Johns Creek hired Cambridge defensive coordinator Jim Rowell to replace Drew Connell, who is now Milton's defensive line coach. Rowell started his coaching career in 1997 and has been a defensive coordinator at Alpharetta, Lassiter, Kell, Pope and Chattahoochee and co-coordinator at Roswell. This is his first head-coaching job. Johns Creek was 2-8 last season following a Class 6A quarterfinal finish in 2021.

*Pope hired Centennial coach Sean O'Sullivan, an alumnus, to replace Tab Griffin, who is now Lassiter’s associate head coach and receivers coach. O’Sullivan’s five-year record is only 18-32, but he’s never failed to improve a team from the previous season after inheriting winless Centennial in 2020 and struggling North Atlanta in 2017, breaking playoff droughts in his final seasons at each. O'Sullivan was Pope's defensive coordinator in 2017 and was on the staff of Westminster's 2015 Class 3A champion. O’Sullivan also has coached at Mount Vernon and in college at Southeastern Louisiana, Delta State and alma mater Mars Hill. Pope was 26-35 in six seasons under Griffin.

Region 8

*Apalachee promoted defensive coordinator and assistant head coach Mike Hancock to replace Tony Lotti, who became head coach at Seckinger. An Athens Christian and Georgia graduate, Hancock has been at Apalachee since 2018 and coached previously at Walnut Grove (2010-17), West Hall (2008), Monroe Area (2008-09), Chestatee (2003-07) and Loganville (1997-2003). Apalachee broke a 12-year playoff drought in 2022 but fell to 0-10 last season.

*Jackson County hired Knoxville Catholic coach Korey Mobbs to replace Rich McWhorter. Mobbs was Lanier’s coach from 2014 to 2020 before heading to Knoxville. His Lanier teams were 58-22 with two region championships. Jackson County most recently had a winning season in 2012. McWhorter’s teams were 15-26 in four seasons, during which the school moved to Class 6A from 3A. McWhorter, who has 303 career wins, says he wants to take a year off and return to head coaching next season.