Success is their common trait. The 14 head coaches who will bring teams to the Georgia Dome for the state finals this weekend have a combined career record in Georgia of 1,047-356-6, a winning percentage of .745.
Here is a closer look at each of the 14.
Class AAAAAA
*John Ford, Roswell: Fordplayed on Brookwood's 1996 championship team and can become one of fewer than a dozen people to win GHSA state titles as player and head coach. Ford came to Roswell as an assistant in 2008, was promoted to head coach in 2013 and is 26-10 in three seasons.
*Rush Propst, Colquitt County: Propst gained fame at Hoover High in his native Alabama, where he won 110 games and five state titles in nine seasons and was featured in the MTV reality series "Two-A-Days." Propst became Colquitt's head coach in 2008 and is 85-25 there. He can become only the third coach in state history to lead back-to-back unbeaten, untied teams in the highest classification.
Class AAAAA
*Rocky Hidalgo, Glynn Academy: Hidalgo, from Baton Rouge, La., was the coach of Walton's Class AAAAA runner-up team in 2011. He became Walton's defensive coordinator in 2002. Hidalgo came to Glynn Academy in 2014 and is 21-6 in two seasons while leading Glynn to its first state final since 1968.
*Gary Varner, Allatoona: Varner, a native of Syracuse, was the offensive coordinator for Roswell's 2006 state-championship team. He started Allatoona's program in 2008 and is 71-21 in eight seasons. Varner can become only the third head coach in 30 years to start a program and lead it to a state title.
Class AAAA
*Joey King, Cartersville: King, a Cedartown native, was the offensive coordinator at Carrollton from 2008 to 2013, coaching in two state-championship games (2010, 2013) before he got the Cartersville job. King guided a run-based Wing-T offense at Carrollton but is directing an all-out passing game at Cartersville with star sophomore quarterback Trevor Lawrence. King is 26-2 at Cartersville.
*Jess Simpson, Buford: A former Auburn player, Simpson played at Marietta under Dexter Wood, who brought Simpson to Buford as an assistant in 1995. He succeeded Wood 10 years later, and Simpson's 11-season record is 151-19 with eight state titles. An analysis by CNHI news service earlier this month revealed that Simpson is Georgia's highest-paid coach at $174,000. (Propst was second at $123,904.)
Class AAA
*Tim McFarlin, Blessed Trinity: McFarlin won a state title as head coach with Roswell in 2006. He came to Blessed Trinity, about a mile from Roswell, in 2011. He's 51-13-1 in five seasons. He can become the 15th coach in GHSA history to win state titles at two schools. McFarlin is a graduate of Roswell's arch-rival, Milton.
*Gerry Romberg, Westminster: Romberg grew up in Atlanta and played at Marist but spent his senior season at Bishop O'Connell in Arlington, Va. He has been Westminster's coach since 1992, making him the third-longest-tenured coach at one school in Georgia. Romberg's record is 179-103. He has won 15 road playoff games, tied for seventh most in state history.
Class AA
*Chris Slade, Pace Academy: Slade is a former All-America linebacker at Virginia, his native state, and Pro Bowl player in the NFL with the Patriots. He joined Pace's staff in 2012 and took over as head coach in 2013. He inherited a team that had gone 3-7. Pace's records since are 5-5, 7-6 and 12-2.
*Jason Strickland, Fitzgerald: Strickland is one of two Clinch County graduates coaching in the state finals. The other is Jim Dickerson of Clinch. Strickland was an assistant on state-championship teams at Charlton County before getting the Lamar County job in 2008. He turned Lamar into a winner. He took over at Fitzgerald in 2012 and is 41-11-1 at Fitzgerald.
Class A public
*Jim Dickerson, Clinch County: Dickerson is one of two state-finals coaches working at his alma mater. James Leonard of Aquinas is the other.Dickerson took over as Clinch County's head coach in 2004. He is 115-39-1 with state titles in 2004 and 2010.
*Buddy Nobles, Irwin County: Nobles is from Jacksonvilleand came to Georgia to work under Robby Pruitt at Fitzgerald and then Coffee. Nobles had been a head coach and led Union County to the state finals in Florida. He has led Irwin to the state finals each of his two seasons.
Class A private
*Jonathan Gess, Eagle's Landing Christian: Gess is a former Air Force captain at Robins Air Force Base and assistant coach at First Presbyterian Day in Macon. He was hired as ELCA's head coach in 2007 at age 28. His record is 89-26. ELCA won a state title in 2012.
*James Leonard, Aquinas: Leonard was a lineman at Aquinas who joined Aquinas' staff out of Augusta State and has coached nowhere else. His grandfather, Denny Leonard, was head coach for 21 seasons at Aquinas. James Leonard's record as a head coach is 38-2. Aquinas won a state title in his first season, 2013.
Produced by Georgia High School Football Daily, a free e-mail newsletter. To join the mailing list, click here.
About the Author
