Marietta football coach Scott Burton resigned this week, Marietta Schools announced.
Burton’s teams were 31-34 in six seasons, including a 3-7 finish in 2015. The Blue Devils made the playoffs from 2011 through 2013 but suffered its first back-to-back losing seasons since 1986-87.
Burton, a native of Virginia, had been an assistant coach at the University of Richmond, his alma mater, when hired at Marietta in 2010. He also had been a head coach in his native Virginia.
The Marietta job is the first in Cobb County to open this off-season.
Pickren resigns at King’s Ridge
Jeff Pickren, who started King’s Ridge Christian’s football program in 2007, has stepped down voluntarily. Pickren’s first full-varsity team of 2010 went 5-5 with on 22 players on its roster, but the program never managed a winning season and finished 1-9 in 2014 and 2015. Pickren will remain at the Alpharetta school as dean of students. ‘’One day I expect to see King’s Ridge go deep in the playoffs, and I’ll be proud I got to be part of that,’’ Pickren said. “I’ll be sad that I couldn’t be the guy to do it.’’
Carver hires Alabama State coach
Carver of Columbus has dipped into the college ranks to find its new head coach – Reggie Barlow, the former head coach at Alabama State. Barlow will replace Joe Kegler, who was let go despite a 27-7 record in three seasons. Barlow was played eight seasons in the NFL as a receiver and return specialist. He was head coach at Alabama State, his alma mater, from 2007 to 2014. His record was 49-42.
Cedar Shoals forces out Wilkins
Cedar Shoals has fired coach Scott Wilkins, the Athens Banner-Herald reported Thursday. Wilkins was 0-10 and 2-8 in his two seasons. "This is a decision that was not made by me," Wilkins said. "I thought we were sitting on the doorstep of some really good things." Wilkins was Cedar Shoals' head coach from 1994 to 2007 and compiled a 106-50-1 record and took the team to the Class AAA championship game in 1995. Wilkins was re-hired in 2014 after the program suffered five losing seasons in the six years after Wilkins left.
Here are the 34 reported jobs that have come open this off-season, including the five that have been filled.
Bremen: Scott Hodges
Carrollton: Ed Dudley
Carver-Columbus: Joe Kegler. Hired - Reggie Barlow
Cedar Shoals: Scott Wilkins
Chestatee: Bill Forman. Hired - Shaun Conley
Clarke Central: Ahren Self. Hired - David Perno
Douglas County: Jason Respert
Druid Hills: Mark Adams
East Jackson: Gary Hughes
Forsyth Central: Shane Williamson
Griffin: Jarrett Laws
Grovetown: Rodney Holder
Hardaway: Jeff Battles. Hired - Michael Woolridge
Heritage-Conyers: Wendell Early
Jeff Davis: Roger Metts
Jordan: Jim Brown
King's Ridge Christian: Jeff Pickren
Marietta: Scott Burton
Miller Grove: Damien Wimes
New Hampstead: Bernard Gaither
North Clayton: James Soza
North Forsyth: Jason Galt
Oglethorpe County: Jimbo Hale
Rockdale County: Venson Elder
Rockmart: Bin Turner
Rutland: George Collins
Schley County: Mark Daniel
Stewart County: Travis Terry
Swainsboro: Ken Eldridge
Tattnall Square: Clint Morgan
Thomasville: Leroy Ryals
Toombs County: Lyman Guy. Hired - Richie Marsh
Valdosta: Rance Gillespie
Whitewater: Amos McCreary
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