Rome hires coach that led North Gwinnett to its only football state title

Bill Stewart thought he might be in college football the rest of his career when he joined Georgia Tech’s staff as an analyst three years ago. Stewart left one of the state’s better high school jobs at North Gwinnett, the program he led to its only state title in 2017.

Stewart was named Rome’s head coach Thursday morning in a 7-0 vote by the school board.

“When you’re in that college game, you do miss Friday nights,” Stewart told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution in his first interview as Rome’s coach. “I always tell people, even with I was at Rabun County (as defensive coordinator last season), talking with the players, I’d say, ‘You know, guys, even though I got to go to places like Miami and play in big college football games, you still get that same feeling on a Friday night when you have a community that’s behind you and the games are important. College football was a great experience, but my heart is right where I’m at.”

Stewart’s record at North Gwinnett was 60-19 in six seasons. Stewart was on Brent Key’s Tech staff in 2023 and 2024. He coached last season at Rabun County with coach Rance Gillespie.

Stewart will succeed John Reid, who retired this month and helped direct the search for his replacement in his role of athletic director. Rome was 117-26 and won eight region championships and the 2016 and 2017 Class 5A titles in Reid’s 11 seasons.

Stewart and Reid met when they were region rivals nearly 20 years ago, Stewart as head coach at Etowah and Reid at East Paulding. They both got their first Georgia head coaching jobs in 2006, and each won a state title in 2017.

“We have a very strong mutual respect for each other and what we do to the point where I’ve gone over and watched him practice, and he’s come over and watched me,” Stewart said. “I know how John runs a program. I know the expectations and that standards that have been applied, and it’s why it’s a first-class program. Those are the things that draw me to that place.

“Not only does the city completely get behind that program, but those players know how to work. There’s really good players there that want to be developed. So my interest in Rome was that combination along with my urge and my desire to get back into the coaching realm and do my thing.”

Rome was 12-2 and reached the Class 5A semifinals last season. Its playoff loss to Gainesville was declared a forfeit victory for Rome this month.

Stewart led North Gwinnett to the Class 7A championship with a 19-17 upset victory over Colquitt County. North Gwinnett won on a last-play field goal in what the AJC has ranked as the ninth-greatest state final in GHSA history.

Six of Stewart’s former North Gwinnett players were in the NFL this season. All six — Barrett Carter, Josh Downs, Tyler Goodson, Jordan Hancock, Jared Ivey and DJ Turner II — played on his 2017 state champion team, though most were underclassmen.

Stewart was 41-26 at Etowah from 2006-11, when he won that Cherokee County school’s only three region championships. Stewart left Etowah to help open a school in Alabama as head coach and returned to Georgia in 2013 at Jackson County as director of safety, security and athletics.