GHSF Daily is expanding its Four Questions feature this season beyond head coaches to other voices in high school football. Today's interviewee is Conrad Nix, who won 300 games in a 41-year coaching career. Nix's teams at Northside of Warner Robins won state championships in 2006 and 2007. Nix retired after the 2009 season. Two of his former assistant coaches, Kevin Kinsler and Mike Chastain, are head coaches of teams in the state finals this week. His son, Patrick Nix, just led Pinson Valley to its second straight state title in Alabama.
Conrad Nix, former Northside (Warner Robins) head coach
1. Are you going to the championship games, and how closely to you stay in contact with the Northside program and Georgia high school football? ''Yes, plans are to go up early and watch Peach County, Warner Robins and Northside. Hope to see all three win state championships. It would be really unique for Northside and Warner Robins, both from the same city, winning state championships. I'm involved with SportsMic. I do a coaches show on Wednesday night with Northside, Houston County and Perry and on Thursday night Warner Robins and Veterans. That keeps me pretty busy and involved with all teams. I also I get to watch a lot of video of Northside on Hudl. Plus, I get out to practice some.'' [SportsMic is a Web site that covers Houston County and Middle Georgia sports.]
2. Head coaches Kevin Kinsler of Northside and Mike Chastain of Warner Robins were on your staff for a time. What impressed you about each of them individually as assistants? ''We have five schools in Houston County, and fortunately four of the head coaches were on our staff. [Kevin Smith of Perry and Ryan Crawford of Houston County are the others.] So I'm very in tune with each one. Everyone knows that I'm all Northside, but I want them all to have success too. Coach Kinsler played at Northside and was defensive coordinator. I'm very proud of the success he's had, not only wins but his Christian influence. In fact I'm very proud off all the coaches' leadership. Coach Chastain was graduating the spring of '94 when I came back to Northside, so I didn't coach him, but I knew him and his parents real well. After college he coached with us a couple of years and did a good job. Proud of what he's been able to accomplish at Warner Robins. Love both of them.''
3. How have you've spent your time after retiring [after the 2009 season]? ''As I mentioned, when I retired, I along with Mike Davis and Greg Elrod formed SportsMic. Our goal was to promote the sports programs at the high school level. I've always believed that we have great sports in our county, and we wanted to recognize our teams and athletes. Also when my son Patrick decided to get in high school coaching, he needed a defensive coordinator, so he talked me into helping him. So in the fall, my wife, Patsy, and I rented a small house in Scottsboro, Ala. It was a great time. Patrick has four children, so we were able to be around them all the time. Mimi cooked for them - anything the kids wanted - and they were at our house a lot. Some great memories, and we were pretty successful on the field.'' [Patrick Nix was Auburn's starting quarterback during the 11-0 season of 1993. He coached at Georgia Tech and Miami, among other college stops, before becoming a high school head coach in 2013.]
4. Patrick has had a great coaching career, and now your grandson Bo is a national recruit going to Auburn. What's it like following their careers, and how do those state titles compare to some of the other football thrills that you've had over the years? ''Patrick took the head coaching job at Pinson Valley high school in the fall of 2017 and won state championship in '17 and '18, back-to-back. I've got two grandsons on the team - Caleb, a ninth-grade quarterback and long snapper, and Bo, a senior. He's the quarterback. God has blessed him with a lot of ability. He's the top-rated [dual-threat] quarterback in the nation, and he just set the total career yardage record, over 12,500 yards, and career touchdowns, 161, in Alabama. He was MVP of the state championship game and Gatorade player of the year in Alabama. He's entering Auburn in January. We're very blessed.
''As for some of the thrills, when you've coached as long as I have, there are a lot. To tell you the truth, some of the best are on Father's Day when a lot of guys call and wish me happy Father's Day or at Christmas. Another thrill is all the coaches that were on our staff that went on to become head coaches. Lots of game memories. Winning 10 games or more 12 years in a row and playing for four state championships in five years was very special and says a lot for our players, coaches and community.''
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