GHSF Daily asked Georgia head coaches to answer these four questions. We'll report from a different head coach each day.
Rick Hurst, Pepperell
1. What is the most memorable game you've been a part of as a player or coach? "Probably Eastside's second-round playoff wins over Carrollton in back-to-back seasons in 2008 and 2009. They really did not respect us that much. An unknown versus one of the state powers, and we really man-handled them both years. That was very rewarding for our players and community." [Hurst was 70-47 as Eastside's coach from 2005 to 2014.]
2. Which high school coach would you want your son to play for, and why? "Next year I will have the opportunity to coach my son [Ryan]. That terrifies me somewhat because I know how hard I am on him at home. I also push players to their limits every day to make them better, not only as an athlete but as a person. I had an opportunity last winter to speak with a few head coaches that have coached their own sons. Travis Noland (Oconee County) and Paul Standard (St. Pius) gave me some wonderful advice. Both of them said to leave football at the field and be dad at home. They also said to let someone else on the staff coach them during practice and games. This separates the dad role from the coach role. After speaking with these great coaches, I feel much more at ease about sharing this great sport with my son as a player for me. If I had to choose someone else to coach him, it would be either Coach Noland or Coach Troy Hoff at Eastside. I know and respect Travis a lot. He and I have very similar approaches to the game and to young men. Coach Hoff is a close friend of mine. I know that he would push Ryan to be the best he could be, but look out for him as well."
3. What is your pet peeve as a coach or favorite saying/motto? "My pet peeve is individualism, players that are all about themselves rather than winning as a team. It really is a societal issue that plagues this generation. My favorite saying is 'Be on Time, Work Hard and Be Coachable.' That really covers all aspects of being an athlete or just a person in general."
4. Which GHSA policy or high school football rule would you most like to see changed? "I would like for them to change the acclimation period during the summer. If we can practice three hours a day during all of June and most of July in helmets, why go down to two hours only for that week? That one has never made sense to me."
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