GHSF Daily is chronicling the many coaching changes in the offseason. We continue today with Class AA.
Number of hires: 10
Best hire: Mike Martin
Hardest to replace: Franklin Stephens
Best job: Lamar County
Toughest job: Social Circle
Most interesting: Muhammad Abdellatif was becoming something of a rising star as defensive coordinator at Washington-Wilkes. Armuchee called him this offseason to return to his alma mater, where he becomes the second-youngest head coach in Georgia at age 27. Abdellatif is originally from Chicago and moved to Floyd County as an eighth-grader.
Region 2
*Bacon County hired Cook coach Ken Cofer to replace Hildrick Garrison, who was 4-6 in one season. Cofer was 32-15 in four seasons at Cook, where he had been offensive coordinator until 2010.
*Groves hired Effingham County assistant Mike Martin to replace the retiring Greg Hunter. Martin formerly was head coach at Windsor Forest, where he was 29-25 in five seasons, reaching the playoffs four times. He left and became offensive coordinator at South Effingham, partly because of Savannah schools' decision to play in the highest classification despite much smaller enrollment. Groves in 2012 began playing in Class AA. Hunter, who was 14-37 in five seasons, is a Groves alumnus who coached at the Savannah school for 30 years.
*McIntosh County Academy hired Pierce County defensive coordinator Gary Mintier to replace Keith Gosse, who was 18-15 in three seasons. Mintier, a native of New Jersey, also was defensive coordinator at Crisp County and Brantley County under Sean Pender. Gosse, who was 18-15 in three seasons, is now assistant head coach and special teams and offensive line assistant at Turner County.
Region 4
*Lamar County promoted defensive coordinator Jamie Abrams to replace Franklin Stephens, who took the Ware County job. Abrams has been a head coach at Wadley in Alabama and has been an assistant at Dublin, East Paulding and Woodland (Ala.). Stephens was 26-2-1 in two seasons.
*Monticello hired Cairo defensive coordinator Doug Huff to replace Eddie Roberts. Huff, a former Georgia football player, had been Monticello's head coach and athletics director from 2003 to 2006 and was an assistant for four seasons before that. The 2003 season (6-4) was the Hurricanes' last winning campaign. Huff was defensive coordinator at Morgan County after leaving Monticello. Roberts, who was 11-29 in four seasons, is now an area representative for Fellowship of Christian Athletes.
Region 5
*Chattahoochee County hired Schley County coach Josh Kemp to replace Russell Morgan. Kemp started Chattahoochee County's program in 2006 and was 28-16 in four seasons, but the Panthers haven't had a winning season since Kemp's last in 2009 (9-2). Kemp was offensive coordinator for one season at Carver of Columbus, whose star at the time was Isaiah Crowell. Morgan, who was 7-23 in three seasons, is now an assistant at Villa Rica.
Region 7
*Armuchee hired Washington-Wilkes defensive coordinator Muhammad Abdellatif, an alumnus, to replace Preston Cash. Abdellatif, 27, is believed to be the second-youngest head coach in Georgia behind James Leonard, also 27, of Aquinas. Abdellatif was an assistant at McIntosh County Academy before going to Washington-Wilkes with coach Robby Robinson. Cash, who was 2-18 in two full seasons, is now an assistant coach at Coosa.
*Chattooga hired Summerville Middle School coach Charles Hammon to replace Clay Livingstone, who was 4-16 in two seasons. Hammon was head coach of Valley Head (Ala.) and improved the program's victory total each season from 1-9 in 2001 to 9-3 in 2005.
Region 8
*Oglethorpe County hired Wildwood (Fla.) coach Jimbo Hale to replace Larry Milligan. Hale was head coach of Covenant Christian in Macon in 2012. Hale has coached at Coosa, Long County, First Presbyterian and Trinity Bible College in North Dakota. Milligan, who was 14-36 in five seasons, has returned to coaching in his hometown of Fernandina Beach, Fla.
*Social Circle hired Monroe Area defensive coordinator Chad Estes to replace Ron Sebree, who was winless in his two seasons. Estes has been a head coach at Salem (2006-09) and Mundy's Mill (2003-04) and has a 35-25-1 record. Sebree is now the regional scouting director for Next Level Athlete, which showcases Georgia prospects for college coaches.
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