GHSF Daily asked Georgia head coaches to answer these four questions. We'll report from a different head coach each day.
Josh Alexander, Athens Academy
1. What is the real difference-maker in winning and losing in Georgia high school football? "It is very hard to win consistently. To win consistently it takes many people believing in one cause. It is so important to keep each kid the centerpiece of the program. Every player must know how important they are to the team. The players must know that they will be taken care of at all costs."
2. Which player that you've coached is memorable mostly for his character or inspiration? "I was blessed to coach Drew Swan at Athens Academy. Drew passed four months ago. I absolutely loved this kid. He was so awesome in so many ways. He was talented and had the best work ethic. Drew was the greatest team player. He truly loved his team, school and community." [Swan, a 2017 graduate, was an all-area linebacker and one of the state's elite middle-distance runners. He died June 5 after a skateboarding accident.]
3. What is the best atmosphere for a high school game that you've experienced away from home? "This is a tie. I was blessed to coach in the Washington-Wilkes/Lincoln County rivalry. This was such a great atmosphere. The other game is Parkview/Brookwood. Both atmospheres were so different. They were both so neat in so many ways."
4. As a player or coach at any level, which game do you wish you could play again? "I would go back and coach the 2014 Archer/Colquitt County state championship game again. We lost but had many chances to win the game. Our kids played so hard, and it was so heartbreaking." [Alexander was Archer's offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach when he took the Athens Academy job in 2015.]
Produced by Georgia High School Football Daily, a free e-mail newsletter. To join the mailing list, click here.
About the Author
