What to know about the 14 new head football coaches in Class 4A

Ahead of the 2025 season, Georgia High School Football Daily looks at the biggest news among Class 4A coaching changes.

Here’s a look at the moves, the hires and what to know.

Number of hires: 14

Best hire: Chris Prewett, Dalton

Hardest to replace: Gerry Romberg, Westminster

Best job: Jones County

Toughest job: Southeast Whitfield

Most interesting: Westminster’s Romberg retired after 33 seasons as head coach. He won 239 games and the 2015 Class 3A championship. Westminster hired Isadore Newman (Louisiana) coach Nelson Stewart to replace him. Stewart was the high school coach of Texas quarterback Arch Manning and NFL wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. and a former high school teammate of Peyton Manning.

“Georgia football is its own world,” Stewart told GHSF Daily’s Reggie Graham this summer. “There are no off-Friday nights. Every program’s good. Everyone’s well-coached. The talent is second to none. There’s a huge challenge there. I get it. It’s not anything that’s going to sneak up on me.”

Stewart’s Newman teams were 162-54 with state playoff appearances in all 19 of his seasons.

Region 1

None

Region 2

Eagle’s Landing Christian hired University (Orange, Florida) coach Justin Roberts to replace Tanner Rogers, who is now Habersham Central’s defensive coordinator. Roberts’ University teams were 19-5 the past two seasons and won the school’s first district championship. Roberts is a Florida native and former Valdosta State quarterback. ELCA has won six Class A championships but none since 2019. The Chargers were 14-19 in three seasons under Rogers.

Jones County hired Carrollton defensive coordinator Justin Montgomery to replace Mike Chastain, who is not coaching this season and works for Baker Sports. Montgomery was Carrollton’s defensive coordinator the past four seasons, arriving in 2021 with head coach Joey King. Carrollton was a state runner-up in 2022 and 2024. Montgomery has been a defensive coordinator at Thomasville (2020) and Valdosta (2018-19) and worked the 2017 season on Chastain’s staff at Warner Robins. Jones County was 10-2 last season and won three region titles in Chastain’s six seasons.

Region 3

Griffin hired B.E.S.T. Academy coach Bernard Goodrum to replace Clifford Fedd, who joined Prairie View A&M’s staff as running backs coach. Goodrum’s B.E.S.T. teams were 7-21 in three seasons. The 4-6 finish in 2024 represents the program’s best record since 2017. Goodrum, a Griffin native, has worked at Jones County (2021), Faulkner University (2019-20) and Copiah-Lincoln (2016-18). He has suffered four straight losing seasons, including a 1-9 finish in 2024, after 20 straight winning seasons.

Mundy’s Mill hired Luella coach Craig Coleman to replace Eric “Sumo” Robinson, who is now New Manchester’s assistant head coach. Coleman’s record at Luella was 27-30 in five seasons, with the school’s only three playoff victories. He was Mundy’s Mill’s defensive coordinator before coming to Luella. He has been on the staffs of Savannah State, Clark Atlanta, Morehouse, Morris Brown and several schools around his native Ohio. Mundy’s Mill fell to 0-10 last season after an 8-3 finish in 2023.

Region 4

Midtown promoted defensive coordinator Calvin Arnold to replace Leroy Hood, who became Arkansas High’s head coach in Texarkana. Arnold joined Midtown’s staff in 2018. He was head coach for one season at Carver in Columbus and two at Spencer. He has also worked at Troup and Dougherty. Arnold will be Midtown’s fifth coach in five seasons, during which the program is 13-27. Midtown returned to a region schedule last season and finished 2-8.

Pace Academy hired former Atlanta Falcons linebacker Sean Weatherspoon to replace Nick Bach, who is now Campbell’s defensive coordinator. Weatherspoon was a 2010 first-round NFL Draft pick who played seven NFL seasons. Weatherspoon has worked with youth, middle school and high school teams primarily as a community coach since his retirement. Since 2023, he was the head athletic trainer and football coach at Legacy Sports Complex. Pace has been middling while often playing in a higher class than its enrollment since its 2015 Class 2A championship under another former NFL player, Chris Slade.

Region 5

Northview hired McNair coach Mario Drayton to replace Scott Schwarzer, who remained as the school’s athletic director. Drayton was McNair’s coach the past four seasons with a 12-28 record. His 2022 team ended a 24-game losing streak, and his 2024 team broke a 17-year playoff drought. Drayton was Lowndes’ wide receivers coach when McNair hired him in 2021. Drayton started his coaching career at Berrien in 2006 and has assisted at Hamilton County in his native Florida, Valwood, Cook and Thomas County Central, most often as an offensive coordinator. Northview was 1-9 last season under Schwarzer.

Region 6

Westminster hired Nelson Stewart, coach of Isadore Newman of Louisiana, to replace Gerry Romberg, who retired. Stewart was head coach for 19 seasons at his alma mater, a New Orleans private prep school. Stewart’s Newman teams were 162-54 with state playoff appearances in all 19 seasons, won seven district championships and advanced to the state quarterfinals or further six times. Romberg’s record was 239-146 in 33 seasons. Westminster finished 5-6 last season.

Region 7

Cedartown hired Calhoun quarterbacks coach Tommy Atha to replace Jamie Abrams, who became Bowdon’s defensive coordinator. Atha is best known for his 22 seasons as head coach and 30 years overall service at Darlington, the Rome private school where he fashioned a 179-66 record with seven region titles. Atha resigned after the 2022 season and did not coach in 2023. He returned in 2024 and helped Calhoun to its first state championship since 2017. Cedartown, a Class 4A school, was 9-2 last season. Abrams was let go despite a 50-12 record over five seasons.

Dalton hired Roswell coach Chris Prewett to replace Kit Carpenter, who joined Christian Heritage’s staff as assistant coach and director of campus operations. Prewett’s Roswell record was 50-13 while reaching the semifinals once and the quarterfinals two other times. He got the Roswell job in 2020 after serving three seasons as defensive coordinator. Prewett also has worked on staffs at Pope and Johns Creek. Roswell was 9-3 last season with losses to state powers Buford, Hughes and Milton.

Hiram hired Cartersville defensive coordinator Joe Scott to replace Pete Fominaya, who became Sprayberry’s head coach. Scott was Landmark Christian’s head coach for one season, in 2018, before joining Cartersville’s staff. He was South Paulding’s defensive coordinator before getting the Landmark job. He has been a high school coach for 22 years. Scott is a Fitzgerald graduate and former Georgia Southern star linebacker. Hiram was 5-6 last season.