GHSF Daily asked Georgia head coaches to answer these four questions. We'll report from a different head coach each day.
1. Who is/was the most influential person in your coaching career?"The late Alan Fahring. While I was attending the University of Arkansas, Coach Fahring was the head coach at Fayetteville High School. He hired me as a student coach. I was nothing but a gopher. Worked for him for three years doing whatever he would let me. In 1990, he took over North Gwinnett and brought me with him. Everything I do every day has been influenced by Coach Fahring."
2. Who is the best Georgia player you ever faced?"Kevin Ellison, the QB for Georgia Southern and former QB for Habersham Central. Never seen as explosive a kid as Kevin. Every game we watched on film he did something amazing. We beat Habersham in the 2011 first round 65-48 and felt lucky. Never stopped him, but nobody else did either. I believe they averaged 45 points a game."
3. What is the best team you ever faced as a coach?"While at Burke County, we played Thomas County Central for the state championship [1997]. I broke down 15 games defensively and never saw them punt. They beat us 21-19, and we never made them punt. Absolutely the best offensive team I have ever seen."
4. If you were Gary Phillips, the new head of the GHSA, what would be the first rule that you would try to change?"There needs to be something done with the highest classification - AAAAAA. The disparity with the largest 30 or so schools and the rest is just too great. For a team with 1,800 kids to try to compete with those that have 3,000 is unrealistic and unfair."
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