Irwin County hires Coffee assistant as head football coach
Irwin County is hiring Coffee assistant Beau Johnson as its next football coach.
The school’s decision went before the Irwin County Schools Board of Education and superintendent Wednesday morning, where it was made official.
Coffee coach Mike Coe confirmed the move to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution ahead of the BOE meeting.
Johnson has coached Coffee’s defensive line the past four seasons. The Trojans have gone 40-13 in that time, including a 15-0 state championship season in 2023.
“I’m just super excited. I grew up in South Georgia in a small town, and small town high school football is some of the greatest things in America,” Johnson said. “They live it, breathe it. Even the grandmas at the grocery store know what they’re talking about with football.
“The kids and the environment, it’s just a great fit.”
Johnson also enters the job with head coaching experience. He led Blountstown in Florida from 2018 to 2021, totaling a combined record of 34-10. Blountstown is considered one of the top 1R (Rural) — the smallest classification in the Florida High School Athletic Association — programs in Florida.
“(Blountstown and Irwin County) have almost the same amount of red lights, the same amount of restaurants, the same amount of enrollment and their colors are the same,” Johnson said. “It’s ideally the same thing, but I think that’s what makes it such a great place, because at Blountstown, it was the same way: we supported those kids, no matter what they did.”
Irwin County has been a standout Class A program, winning three state titles and making seven state championship games in eight years, from 2014 to 2021.
However, Irwin County is coming off one of the worst seasons in its 73-year history. The Indians went 1-9 after going 12-2 and making the state semifinals in 2024. Former Irwin County coach Larry Harold resigned in November after one season.
Whether it be Irwin County’s recent struggles or long-term success, Johnson isn’t focused on the program’s past.
“We’ll honor the history and the tradition of the program and everything they’ve achieved, but we’re also not going to chase ghosts,” Johnson said. “We’re going to worry about tomorrow, and then we’re going to worry about the next day, and then we’re going to worry about the day after that.”
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.
