Newton head football coach Terrance Banks resigned Monday, four days before his team’s first-round playoff game at West Forsyth.
Assistant head coach Camiel Grant will assume the role as head coach this week, according to the Covington News, which first reported the story.
Newton County Schools announced the resignation, and Banks confirmed the news later on Twitter and spoke of the need to spend time with his children ages 7 and 2.
‘’I will coach football again next year,’’ Banks said on Twitter. “Hopefully one day I will get back in the saddle. But tonight I will read bedtime stories to Terrance Jr. and Liam.’’
Newton lost its most recent game to Rockdale County 35-34 in two overtimes on Friday night.
Shortly after the game, two Newton assistant coaches were seen getting into a heated altercation, according to the Covington newspaper, which reported that Banks said ''I resign'' while trying to calm players, who had become agitated in the aftermath.
Banks later told the newspaper that his words were taken out of context.
"I never said that I resign," Banks later told Gabriel Stovall of the Covington News. "I was telling my players that I may as well quit if I haven't taught you or showed you how to better handle yourself. I was trying to relay to them that this wasn't the way to handle things."
But on Monday, the resignation became official. Newton High principal Shannon Buff released this statement:
“This afternoon Coach Terrance Banks resigned his position as head coach of the Newton High School football team. He will remain in his teaching position at Newton High School. We are thankful to Coach Banks for his six years of leadership of the NHS football team. Effectively immediately, Camiel Grant has been named the interim head football coach. The position will be posted after the season is complete.”
The loss to Rockdale caused a three-way tie for third place in the region, but Newton and South Gwinnett beat out Rockdale County for the third and fourth playoff berths on a predetermined tiebreaker.
Newton was 38-27-1 under Banks and reached the playoffs in each of his six seasons. Newton won the Region 2-AAAAAA title in 2015. Newton is 4-6 this season.