GHSF Daily asked Georgia head coaches to answer these four questions. We'll report from a different head coach each day.
Brad Dehem, Brookstone
1. Who is/was the most influential person in your coaching career? "Greg Moore (First Presbyterian) and Franklin Pridgen (Wesleyan). Greg's mentoring influenced how I call plays, analyze the game and prepare a plan. Franklin showed me true leadership among staff and players united for a single purpose and was a great example as a husband and father. Both are friends and outstanding Christian men."
2. Who is the best Georgia player you ever faced? "Nick Marshall, Wilcox County (2009, 2010). Offense is obvious. People don't realize what he was on defense. I had a quarterback (Baylor) and a wide receiver (Appalachian State) that were great players. Nick had two picks with one returned for a touchdown in the first half. We didn't throw it his way again."
3. What is the best team you ever faced as a coach? "Buford, 2007. Seven shutouts. Won the semifinal game 48-0 and the state championship 50-0."
4. If you were Gary Phillips, the new head of the GHSA, what would be the first rule that you would try to change? "Rule for Class A schools only. In counting quarters in Class A football for athletes, any special-teams play should not be counted against a player's weekly participation. Depth is always an issue to get starters off the field, and backups are always underclassmen. It's hard to reward an underclassman for great effort and put him on a varsity special team, and then punish him as a league by only letting him develop as a position player for two quarters in a JV game."
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