Marietta’s Hood enters state tourney for last time

Marietta High School’s Charlie Hood, a 700-game winner with two boys state championships, is down to his final state basketball tournament.

And he’s going out with one of his least talented — but most remarkable — teams.

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AJC File

Marietta’s Charlie Hood, head coach since 1971-72, will be coaching in his 20th state tournament. The Blue Devils face Milton at home on Saturday.

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Hood, 61, announced last week before the Region 5-AAAAA tournament that he is retiring. His record is 715-283, and this will be his 20th state tournament.

Hood won state titles in 1983 and 1999 with squads that were led by former Georgia Bulldogs Cedric Henderson and Ezra Williams, respectively. His 1979 team, featuring future 17-year NBA player Dale Ellis, made the semifinals.

But Hood’s final Marietta team is one of his favorites, despite its losing record.

The Blue Devils were 9-16 and seeded No. 7 in the region tournament with a starting lineup of four 6-foot guards and a 6-foot-3 post player. That’s small even by the standards of 1972, Hood’s first season as head coach.

When Marietta played No. 2 seed Cherokee — with a state berth on the line — Hood knew it could be his final game.

“Sure, yeah, and the kids knew it, too,” he said. “They were all fired up trying to prolong everything. Luckily, we played a tremendous defensive game. I think my announcement spurred a little bit of juice into them.”

Marietta won 65-46, avenging two regular-season defeats.

The next night, Marietta upset No. 3 seed Harrison to reach the final against McEachern, a team with a front line of 6-5, 6-8 and 6-9. That was the end of Cinderella.

But Marietta has another chance Saturday when it faces Milton at home to open the state tournament. It will be Hood’s 999th game.

One of Milton’s top players, Dai Jon Parker, transferred from Marietta.

“He played with us all summer,” Hood said. “That changed a good bit of the chemistry we’d worked at all summer. He’s a super kid, an unbelievable talent, probably Milton’s best player.”

The Marietta-Milton game also is intriguing for its coaches.

Hood and Milton’s David Boyd go back many years. Boyd was head coach at Campbell in Smyrna when it won a state title in 1982. Marietta won the next year. Marietta and Campbell were in the same region for years.

Together, the two coaches have won six state titles and more than 1,200 games.

“He is far and away one of the nicest people I have ever met,” Boyd said. “There were some times when his team would be vastly superior to yours, but he always subbed and allowed you to lose with dignity.”

Hood was hired as an assistant in 1969 and became head coach in 1971-72.

“Forty years at one school, that’s probably the biggest thing I’m proud of,” he said. “It was a tough decision because I’m still enjoying things. But I thought I’d end up while I’m still having a good time instead of having to say I wish I’d retired last year.”