Following a legend is never easy, and there is no bigger coaching legend in Georgia high school football than Larry Campbell of Lincoln County.
Campbell’s successor, Kevin Banks, has stepped down after four seasons, he confirmed to the AJC on Wednesday. His record was 30-15-1 at the Class A school.
‘’I need to spend some time with my family and step away for a little while,’’ Banks said. “For right now, I plan on staying at the school. I’m going to look around [for coaching opportunities], but I’ll probably take a year off and relax.’’
Banks had been on Campbell’s staff for 19 seasons, including the state-champion teams of 1995, 2005 and 2006, when he was named head coach in 2014 upon Campbell's retirement. Campbell won 11 state titles overall at Lincoln County and a Georgia-record 477 games in a career that began at Lincoln County in 1972.
But Campbell’s final season – a 7-4 finish in 2013 – foreshadowed a downturn, at least by Lincoln County standards. Banks’ teams made the playoffs each season, extending a state record that dates to 1974. But the Red Devils haven’t reached the quarterfinals since 2012.
Banks conceded that expectations made the job more challenging.
‘’You can’t go 15-0 every year,’’ Banks said. “It’s not going to be like that anymore. The expectations are still like that, but it’s not going to happen. It’s just different now. It’s more competitive. It’s a combination of a lot of things.’’
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