Frank Hepler, the coach who started West Forsyth’s program in 2007, resigned on Monday and will become defensive coordinator for a school 15 miles from his south Florida hometown of Plantation.
Hepler, 51, had been a successful head coach at his alma mater, Plantation High, where he was 135-30 in 14 seasons. Hepler’s new position will be at nearby Cypress Bay High School in Weston, Fla. Hepler and his wife have family in Florida.
Hepler was 51-18 in his seven seasons at West Forsyth. The Wolverines won a region title in 2012, when the team averaged 40.3 points a game under quarterback A.J. Erdley, now at Middle Tennessee.
In other coaching moves in recent days …
Lambert will promote offensive coordinator Louis Daniel to head coach, pending school board approval on Thursday. Daniel had been the offensive coordinator under Sid Lambert at Lambert when it opened in 2009 and from 2000 to 2008 at Sequoyah. Lambert resigned, citing family reasons.
Reggie Mitchell has resigned at Americus-Sumter after one season, saying it wasn't the right fit, according to the WALB in Albany. Americus-Sumter was 4-6 last season with its third coach in three seasons. The team has had only two winning seasons since the Americus and Sumter County merger in 2004.
Campbell hired Hillgrove defensive line coach and co-coordinator Ryan Brady to replace Harris Rainbow, who was forced out. Brady also has been an assistant at Cass in Georgia and in Florida and New York. Campbell was 4-6 last season.
Matt Casper is the new head coach at Walker in Marietta. Casper had been an assistant at Lovett, coaching the offense and running backs. He also has coached at Savannah Country Day and at Ithaca College. Walker coach John East, who left coaching after seasons of 11-1 and 4-5.
Job openings and hires:
Alpharetta - Jacob Nichols (Jason Dukes)
Americus-Sumter – Open (Reginald Mitchell)
Armuchee - Muhammad Abdellatif (Preston Cash)
Athens Christian - Chris Williams (Steve Brooks)
Bacon County - Ken Cofer (Hildrick Garrison)
Baldwin - Lee Hannah (Dexter Copeland)
Bradwell Institute - Greg Hill (Adam Carter)
Campbell – Ryan Brady (Harris Rainbow)
Carrollton - Ed Dudley (Rayvan Teague)
Cartersville - Joey King (Frank Barden)
Cass - Bobby Hughes (Rick Casko)
Cedar Shoals - Scott Wilkins (Chris Davis)
Chapel Hill - Justin DeShon (Geoff Pastrick)
Chattahoochee - Vince Strine (Michael Owens)
Chattahoochee County - Josh Kemp (Russell Morgan)
Chattooga - Charles Hammon (Clay Livingstone)
Chestatee - Open (Stan Luttrell)
Clarkston - Terrance Hughey (Gary Wansley)
Coahulla Creek - Chad Barger (Jared Hamlin)
Cook - Jon Lindsey (Ken Cofer)
Cross Keys - Kevin Saunders (David Radford)
Dutchtown - Mark Myers (Kevin Jones)
East Coweta - Steve Pardue (Clint Wade)
Fannin County - Jim Pavao (Greg Chambers)
Forest Park - Reginald Austin (John Diehl)
Glynn Academy - Open (Rob Ridings)
Grady – Earthwind Moreland (Ronnie Millen)
Greenbrier - Jarrett Troxler (Kevin Hunt)
Griffin – Open (Steve DeVoursney)
Harris County - Dwight Jones (Tommy Parks)
Heritage-Conyers - Wendell Early (Mike Parris)
Heritage-Ringgold - E.K. Slaughter (Tim James)
Irwin County - Buddy Nobles (Jon Lindsey)
Jenkins County - Charlie Waters (Ashley Harden)
Jones County - Open (Dwight Jones)
LaGrange - Dialleo Burks (Donnie Branch)
Lakeside-Evans – Open (Jarrett Troxler)
Lamar County – Jamie Abrams (Franklin Stephens)
Lambert – Louis Daniel (Sid Maxwell)
Lithia Springs - Open (Scott Dean)
Loganville - Mike Parris (Eric Godfree)
Lovejoy - Edgar Carson (Al Hughes)
M.L. King - Open (Cortez Allen)
McIntosh County Academy - Gary Mintier (Keith Gosse)
Miller County - Open (Frank Killingsworth)
Monroe Area - Joey Sulkowski (Matt Fligg)
Mount de Sales - Keith Hatcher (Robert Slocum)
Mount Zion (Jonesboro) - Kevin Jones (Ervin Starr)
North Hall - David Bishop (Bob Christmas)
Oconee County - Travis Noland (Mitch Olson)
Oglethorpe County - Jimbo Hale (Larry Milligan)
Ola - Jared Zito (John Kovzel)
Osborne - Byron McCall (Xarvia Smith)
Parkview - Eric Godfree (Cecil Flowe)
Redan - Roderick Moore (Willie Griffieth)
Richmond Hill - Josh Eads (Lyman Guy)
Rockmart - Bin Turner (Dan Duff)
Schley County - Mark Daniel (Josh Kemp)
Social Circle - Chad Estes (Ron Sebree)
South Cobb - Geoff Pastrick (Michael Youngblood)
Stephens County - Frank Barden (Travis Noland)
Stone Mountain - Chaka Mason (Dante Ferguson)
Strong Rock Christian - Tommy Webb (Mark Miller)
Thomson - Rob Ridings (Milan Turner)
Toombs County - Lyman Guy (Steve Versprille)
Twiggs County - Dexter Copeland (Jeb Stewart)
Upson-Lee - Tommy Parks (Tommy Watson)
Walker – Matt Casper (John East)
Ware County - Franklin Stephens (Ed Dudley)
West Forsyth – Open (Frank Hepler)
Winder-Barrow - Heath Webb (David Wagner)
Woodland (Stockbridge) - Steve Davenport (Scott Schmitt)
Thanks to Steve Slay for helping compile this list.
