There were 17 first-year coaches in Class AAAAA. Some shifted from one place to another. Others were promoted from within the staff.
For the most part the moves have been positive. The new schools have, for the most part, shown progress under the new coaching staff. Others have found the task of changing the culture and producing results to be more formidable.
Here’s a look at the 17 first-year coaches and how they’ve fared:
Banneker: Lou George – A former All-America at N.C. Central, George was promoted from the strength coach to take over for Mario Allen, who led the program to its first region championship in 2018. The Trojans suffered big graduation losses from that 92 team and have started the season 1-3.
Buford: Bryant Appling – A popular choice by the Buford faithful, who prefer the old-school approach taken by Appling, the program's longtime defensive coordinator. The Wolves are 4-0 and ranked No. 1 in the state.
Chamblee: Scott Schwarzer – The former offensive coordinator from Duluth – and former two-time head coach – picked a tough place to get back in the game. The Bulldogs have not done well – six wins over previous five seasons – and are off to an 0-4 start. Chamblee was 0-10 in 2018.
Cross Keys: John Bowen – He left Montgomery County to return to one of the toughest jobs in the state. Bowen was at Cross Keys in 2015 before taking the job at Montgomery. Cross Keys suffers from low participation and went 0-10 in 2018. The Indians are 0-5 this season and trying to avoid their third straight winless season.
Fayette County: Nick Davis – He opted to leave Spalding, where he ran the program for eight year, and try to rebuild things at Fayette County, which went 0-10 last season. Fayette County's last winning season was 2007, although they made the playoffs in 2014 at 4-7. The Tigers are off to a 2-2 start.
Griffin: Kareem Reid – After a successful stint at Westlake, Reid happily took the Griffin job and has done well. The Bears are 4-0 and ranked No. 9 in the state. The Bears have an explosive offense and appear to be the frontrunner in Region 3. Griffin was 8-4 in 2018.
Johnson Gainesville: Stan Luttrell – A former defensive coordinator at Habersham Central, Luttrell takes over a program that hasn't made the playoffs since 2004. Johnson is off to a 3-2 start, one win shy of matching the total from 2018.
Jones County: Mike Chastain – He jumped ship from Warner Robins after taking the Demons to the state championship the last two season. Chastain knows how to produce quarterbacks and is helping Hunter Costlow improve his stock for college recruiters. No. 5-ranked Jones County is 5-0, but still has some tough Region 4 games. Jones County was 8-3 a year ago.
Lithonia: Marcus Jelks – This is the second time around at Lithonia for Jelks, who left the school for a year and returned last season as AD. This year he took over the football program again and has the Bulldogs off to a 3-1 start and awaiting a possible showdown with Southwest DeKalb for the Region 6 title. Lithonia was 6-5 and made the playoffs a year ago.
Lithia Springs: Corey Jarvis – He has been a winner at Mays (30-9) and King (49-11) and returns to the metro area after spending one year at Dooly County. Lithia Springs is a tough spot -- the Lions were 2-8 last season -- and have started this year 1-3. Jarvis is one win shy of reaching 100 for his career.
New Hampstead: Kyle Hockman – After 11 years of success at McEachern – which included five region titles – Hockman jumped at the chance to move to the beach. The Phoenix are 2-2 and in contention for a playoff spot from Region 2. New Hampstead was 5-6 a year ago and survived some coaching turmoil.
South Effingham: Nathan Clark – The former Lee County offensive coordinator has reinvigorated the Mustangs program. South Effingham is 4-0 for the first time since 2015, when it posted its last winning season. The Mustangs were 2-8 last season and the only team from Region 2 who didn't make the playoffs.
Stockbridge: Steve Boyd – After serving as defensive coordinator, Boyd was promoted when Kevin Whitley stepped down. Boyd has emphasized that his players "do right" and the approach has worked. The Tigers are 4-0 and ranked No. 7 in the state. Stockbridge went 12-2 in 2018.
Ware County: Jason Strickland – He moved over from Pierce County, where the Bears won a region championship during his two seasons in Blackshear. He also won region titles during stays at Fitzgerald and Lamar County. Strickland earned his 100th career victory earlier this season. The Gators are 2-2 after going 8-4 in Franklin Stephens' final season at the school.
Warner Robins: Marquis Westbrooks – The former defensive coordinator was promoted to the position and has kept the Demons on the winning path. Warner Robins is 3-1, losing only to Class AAAAAAA power Colquitt County. The Demons were 12-3 last season – one of those a forfeit loss – and lost to Bainbridge in the state championship game.
Woodland: Antonio Andrews – He stepped aside at Griffin after going 28-8 in three seasons and took over the rebuilding job at Woodland. The Wolves, who were 3-7 in each of the last two seasons, are off to a 1-4 start.
Villa Rica: Christian Hunnicutt – After two seasons at Grayson, Hunnicutt sought the more rural environs at Villa Rica, which he sees as another Buford. Hunnicutt coached 14 seasons as an assistant with the Wolves and knows the potential of a community-based program. His new team is 1-3 in the difficult Region 7. Villa Rica was 5-5 a year ago and did not make the playoffs.
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