Clinch County football coach, who won 5 state titles, retires again
Legendary Clinch County football coach Jim Dickerson has retired again, he confirmed to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Monday.
Dickerson’s decision was announced during a Board of Education meeting on Monday, first reported by the Clinch County News. Dickerson coached Clinch County for 17 total seasons.
“I just thank them for the opportunity,” Dickerson said. “The Clinch County Board of Education has been really good for me for well over 30 years.”
The longtime coach started at Clinch County as a volunteer coach in 1988, the year of its first state championship. The Clinch County alumnus was hired full time the next season and stayed until he was hired as head coach in 2004.
Dickerson led Clinch County from 2004 to 2018 and coached the program to five of its eight state championships before retiring for the first time.
The school rehired Dickerson in May 2024 as an interim coach, initially expected to coach only one season. He led the Panthers to the state quarterfinals that year and requested another season with the team.
“I thought I had at least one more year in me,” Dickerson said. “And so they were nice enough to extend the offer and take the interim off the label and enlist me as the head coach. So it worked out really well.”
Dickerson led Clinch County to the semifinals in 2025, as the team went 13-1 and won Region 2-A Division II before an elimination loss to eventual state champion Bowdon.
The veteran coach plans to finish out the school year as a part-time teacher, but he knew 2025 was his final season as a head coach.
“High school football has really become a 12-month sport, and when school starts back up Wednesday, you got to hit the floor running,” Dickerson said. “Honestly, I’m just still kind of tired, and I’m getting older, and I just didn’t know. I certainly have never wanted to short the program, and I didn’t know if I was ready to start that all over again.”
Dickerson won his first state title in his first season at Clinch County and his fifth state title in his last season before his first retirement. He won three of his championships in the last four years before his 2018 retirement.
Clinch County is in the market for its 13th head coach since the program was established in 1952. The Panthers have won eight state championships, tying Savannah Christian for fourth-most in Georgia.
About the Author
Jack Leo is a sports writer and reporter for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Jack worked for the AJC throughout his four years studying journalism and sports media at Georgia State University and the University of Georgia. He's now focused on telling stories in the grassroots: bringing comprehensive coverage of high school sports for AJC Varsity.
