Cedar Grove hires Roderick Moore as football coach

Cedar Grove Saints get excited for the Cedar Grove at Mill Creek HS football game, September 15, 2023. (Jamie Spaar for the Atlanta Jounal Constitution)

Credit: Jamie Spaar

Credit: Jamie Spaar

Cedar Grove Saints get excited for the Cedar Grove at Mill Creek HS football game, September 15, 2023. (Jamie Spaar for the Atlanta Jounal Constitution)

Reigning Class 3A football champion Cedar Grove has hired Dougherty defensive coordinator Roderick Moore as head coach to replace John Adams, who left in February to join Dell McGee’s staff at Georgia State.

Moore will return to DeKalb County, where he is a Druid Hills alumnus and a former head coach at McNair (2006-08) and Redan (2014-17).

His career record is 38-46 in rebuilding projects at programs that have struggled this century. He led McNair to its most recent three playoff appearances before the current 15-year drought.

Moore also has been defensive coordinator at Southwest DeKalb and Columbia. At Dougherty, Moore worked under head coach Johnny Gilbert, also a former McNair head coach.

Cedar Grove is the state’s most successful mid-sized school in recent years with five state championships over eight seasons while fielding several major Division I players.

Quarterback Elliott Colson (Central Florida) and running back Bo Walker (Georgia) were juniors on the 2023 team.

Aside from Adams, who led Cedar Grove the past three seasons, two other Saints coaches have departed for head coaching jobs. Offensive coordinator Kendrick Callier is now Stockbridge’s head coach. Defensive assistant Greg Carter is Stone Mountain’s head coach.