Gainesville hires Santavious Bryant away from 6A powerhouse Grayson

Gainesville announced Thursday that it has hired Santavious Bryant away from his head coaching position at Grayson.

Bryant has been Grayson’s coach for the last three seasons, leading the Rams to a Class 6A state championship in 2024 and finished with a 37-5 combined record.

“Gainesville is a special place with a community and a fan base that is second to none,” Bryant said in a release. “I am incredibly grateful to the Gainesville City Schools leadership and Coach (Adam) Lindsey for the opportunity to return to a place that felt like home. My time at Grayson was a blessing, but the chance to lead the Red Elephants — a program with such rich tradition and a commitment to greatness — is an honor I don’t take lightly. I can’t wait to get to work with our players and continue building on the Big Red legacy.”

The hire of Bryant will be made official once approved by the Gainesville City Schools Board of Education.

The move follows former Gainesville coach Josh Niblett’s resignation for an unnamed college football coaching position. Niblett led the Red Elephants to two state championship appearances and a 45-9 combined record in four seasons.

The decision is a homecoming of sorts for Bryant, who served as Gainesville’s defensive passing game coordinator and defensive backs coach in 2022. Grayson hired Bryant when he was 28 years old, making him one of the youngest head coaches in Georgia.

It’s possible that Bryant is earning a significant pay raise by signing with Gainesville. At Grayson, Bryant‘s base salary for 2025 was $74,871. At Gainesville, Niblett‘s was $168,029.

“We are thrilled to welcome coach Bryant back to Gainesville,” Gainesville athletic director Adam Lindsey said per the school release. “During his previous time here, he made an immediate impact on our student-athletes and our culture. Watching his growth and the incredible success he achieved at Grayson only solidified our belief that he is the right person to lead this program. He understands the standard of excellence at Gainesville and has proven he can win at the highest level.”

Bryant has a defensive background, but the young coach has constructed some of the best offenses in Georgia over the last few seasons. Grayson finished the regular season averaging the third-most points per game in Class 6A at 45.0.

The Rams have also developed elite talent under Bryant, producing blue-chip prospects like 5-star linebacker Tyler Atkinson, 4-star quarterback Travis Burgess and 4-star offensive lineman Jordan Agbanoma.

Grayson leads all Georgia high schools with 67 active players on college football rosters.

Grayson figures to be one of the most coveted jobs in the state, if not the country. The Rams topped many national polls throughout the 2025 season before their quarterfinal loss to fellow national powerhouse Carrollton.