Class 2A coaching hires: High turnover among private schools

Ahead of the 2026 football season, AJC Varsity is previewing all of the coaching changes. Today is Class 2A.

Number of hires: 13

• Best hire: Zach Grage, Vidalia
• Hardest to replace: Ashley Henderson, Jasper County
• Best job: Swainsboro
• Toughest job: Walker
• Most interesting: Nineteen of the 27 private schools that will play for the private-only championship are in Class 2A. Five have new coaches. Those are Trae Owens at Providence Christian, Scott Hamilton at Fellowship Christian, Mark Buchanan at King’s Ridge Christian, Damon Dawson at Mount Bethel Christian and Alec Lemon at Walker. The smaller private schools have been places of high turnover recently. The median tenure is only two seasons, as 15 of the 27 are in their first or second seasons at their schools. That doesn’t necessarily spell trouble, though. Hebron Christian has won consecutive Private championships with consecutive first-year coaches. It has a third first-year coach this year, Quentin Davie.

Region 1

Cook promoted safeties coach Cornelius “Pig” Brown to replace Byron Slack, who is now Brunswick’s coach. Brown is a former Cook, Missouri and Indoor Football League linebacker who began coaching at Cook in 2015. He was inducted into the IFL Hall of Fame in 2018 and has coached IFL teams. Cook was 28-20 in Slack’s four seasons and 5-6 in 2025.

Region 2

Swainsboro promoted defensive coordinator Dwight Smith to replace Scott Roberts, who is now Wayne County’s coach. Smith is a former Swainsboro and Middle Tennessee defensive tackle and captain. He’s coached the past 10 seasons at Swainsboro and worked as strength coach and head track-and-field coach. Swainsboro was 92-43 with three region titles under Roberts across two stints and 9-3 in 2025.

Vidalia hired Brooks County athletic director Zach Grage to replace Rodney Garvin, who retired. Grage is best known for his 2016-21 run as head coach at Thomasville, where he inherited a program that had gone 1-8 and went 54-23 with three region titles and the Bulldogs’ only state finals appearance this century (2021). An Indiana native, Grage also was head coach at Gilmer (2015) and Lowndes (2022). He was Brooks County’s athletic director the past three seasons. Vidalia was 9-23 in Garvin’s three seasons and 1-9 in 2025.

Region 3

None

Region 4

Jasper County hired Mitchell County coach Dondrial Pinkins to replace Ashley Henderson, who is now East Jackson’s coach. Pinkins is a former Mitchell County and South Carolina quarterback who has been head coach at Mitchell County over two stints (2008-11, 2021-25) and Pelham (2015-20). His record is 99-54 with four region titles. Jasper County was 27-19 in Henderson’s four season (10-31 the four seasons prior) and 10-2 in 2025, the program’s first 10-win season since 1992.

Region 5

Washington hired Arabia Mountain coach Kenneth Miller to replace Lawrence Smith, is now Sumter County’s run-game coordinator and offensive line coach. Miller’s Arabia Mountain team’s were 4-16 in two seasons. Miller was his alma mater Tri-Cities’ coach from 2008 to 2017 and had a 46-58-1 record with a 103-Class 4A quarterfinal team in 2011. He remained there as athletic director through 2022. Washington was 2-8 in Smith’s lone season and most recently had a winning season in 2021.

Region 6

Coosa hired Jason Howard, a 20-year head coach in Alabama, to replace Geoff Cannon, who is now Rockmart’s offensive coordinator. Howard’s record is 134-93 at Spring Garden (2003-09, 2012-22) and Ohatchee (2010-11). The football field in Spring Garden is named for him. Howard has taught physical education and Career, Technical and Agricultural Education the past three years at Coosa. Coosa was 3-7 and 4-7 under Cannon and most recently had a winning season in 2017.

Region 7

Fannin County hired Lumpkin County defensive coordinator David Nichols to replace Chad Cheatham, who retired. Nichols was on Lumpkin County’s staff the past four seasons. He’s been on staffs at North Hall, Commerce, Parkview and Hart County. He was head coach of two state-winning wrestling teams at North Hall. Fannin County was 59-33 in Cheatham’s eight seasons, making him the school’s all-time winningest coach. He led the Rebels to three of their five region titles.

Gordon Central promoted defensive coordinator Billy Blizzard to replace Marcus Gowan, who is now Lanier County’s coach. Blizzard joined Gordon Central’s staff in 2022. Blizzard has worked previously as defensive coordinator at East Paulding and Sprayberry. He was on alma mater Tennessee Tech’s staff for eight seasons in various capacities. Gordon Lee was 7-4 in Gowan’s lone season, the program’s best record since 2012. Gordon Central was winless in 2021, 2022 and 2023.

Region 8

Providence Christian promoted defensive coordinator Trae Owens to replace Blake Murphy, who took a job in Mississippi after his wife was hired as a Southern Miss professor. Owens came to Providence in 2023. He’d worked prior at Shorter for three seasons and Hebron Christian for two. Providence Christian was 2-9 in Murphy’s only season.