Class 3A coaching hires: Hart County, Rockmart do well

Ahead of the 2026 football season, AJC Varsity is previewing all of the coaching changes. Today is Class 3A.

• Number of hires: 14
• Best hire: Rich Fendley, Rockmart
• Hardest to replace: Biff Parson, Rockmart
• Best job: Hebron Christian
• Toughest job: Jordan
• Most interesting: Hart County and Rockmart made some of the best hires in any classification this offseason. The common denominator is Biff Parson, Rockmart’s all-time winningest coach. Hart County hired him. Parson is from nearby Franklin County and coached at Hart County early in his career. Hart County also gained one of the state’s best quarterbacks in the deal. Parson’s son Tucker passed for 2,698 yards and 34 touchdowns as a Rockmart freshman last season. Rockmart rebounded nicely by hiring Rich Fendley, the coach who led Bowdon to four straight Class A Division II titles.

Region 1

Jordan hired Hardaway defensive coordinator Chad Martin to replace Aaron McDaniel, who is now Harris County’s running backs coach. Martin, a Gordon Lee graduate, has been in coaching since 2008, starting as a graduate assistant at alma maters Shorter and Pepperell. He’s since been on staffs at Manchester, Chattahoochee County and Carver of Columbus in Georgia and Glenwood, Smith’s Station and Valley in Alabama. Martin was head coach at Barbour County in Alabama from 2021 to 2023, where he tackled a losing streak similar to the one he’s newly taking on. Jordan has lost 55 straight games, the second-longest streak of its kind in GHSA history. The record is 62, or 88 without forfeits, held by Glascock County.

Region 2

Central of Macon has hired Wilkinson County coach Jamoski Ward to replace Jarrett Laws, who is now Morrow’s coach. Ward’s Wilkinson teams were 10-12 in two seasons. He was on Central’s staff from 2012 to 2017 and was Baldwin’s defensive coordinator when Wilkinson hired him. An Albany native and former Albany State quarterback, Ward also has coached at Dougherty in his hometown. Central has lost 22 straight games.

Southwest hired Twiggs County coach Roderick Cummings to replace Joe Dupree, who is now McDonough’s coach. Cummings is a Macon native who played linebacker at Westside and Albany State. He was Baldwin’s assistant head coach and defensive coordinator before going to Twiggs. He was Southwest’s offensive coordinator before that. Cummings was 2-18 as Twiggs’ coach but ended the school’s 31-game, six-year losing streak in region play. Dupree was 43-85 in 13 seasons at Southwest, 4-7 in 2025.

Region 3

Appling County hired Lowndes quarterbacks coach J.D. Sellers to replace Tucker Pruitt, who is now Camden County’s coach. Sellers is a former Appling County and Austin Peay quarterback who coached at his college alma mater for seven seasons out of college (2007-13). He’s also coached at Clarksville Academy in Tennessee and Grayson in Georgia and followed Grayson coach Adam Carter to Lowndes in 2023. Appling County was 8-4 with a region title in Pruitt’s only season.

Brantley County hired Pierce County defensive coordinator Matt Hickox to replace David Shores, who is now Camden County’s linebackers and special teams coach. Hickox is a Brantley County alumnus who joined his high school coach, Sean Pender, at Pierce County and stayed 10 seasons and was part of state championship teams in 2021 and 2024. Brantley County was 2-18 in Shores’ two seasons.

Region 4

Washington County hired Cedartown offensive coordinator Jay Ware to replace Robert Edwards, who is now the University of Georgia’s offensive personnel and connection coordinator. Ware was at Cedartown three seasons and assisted previously at Madison County and North Oconee in Georgia and Henderson in Alabama. Ware is a former Coosa and Huntington running back 10 years out of college. Washington County was 20-24 in four seasons under Edwards and hasn’t won a playoff game since 2018, the program’s longest drought since the 1980s.

Region 5

North Cobb Christian promoted defensive coordinator P.J. Hughes to replace Matt Jones, who is teaching math at Osborne and not coaching this season. Hughes came to North Cobb Christian in 2022 after working the previous seven seasons at Cass. He’s a former Macon County and Cumberlands linebacker who coached four years at Cumberlands, including for the 2013 NAIA runner-up team, and was Cumberlands’ defensive coordinator in 2013. North Cobb Christian was 38-41 in Jones’ five seasons, with a 2024 Private semifinal appearance and a 4-7 record in 2025.

Temple hired Rome offensive coordinator Steve Humphrey to replace Corey Nix, who is now Carrollton’s defensive backs coach. Humphrey joined Rome’s staff in 2020. Humphrey has coached 20 seasons, starting at alma mater Tusculum as a student assistant. He’s been a coordinator at Villa Rica, McEachern, Ware County and Camden County in Georgia and Flagler Palm Coast and Suwanee in Florida. Temple was 23-22 in Nix’s four seasons, 5-6 in 2025.

Region 6

Redan hired Newton offensive coordinator Ronald Lewis to replace Damien Wimes, who is teaching at M.L. King and not coaching this season. Lewis came to Georgia in 2024 and was Midtown’s offensive coordinator for a season. He was head coach at Forrest City High in his native Arkansas the two seasons prior. He’s been on staffs at five other schools in Texas and Arkansas. He’s a former linebacker at El Dorado High and Southern Arkansas. Redan was 11-22 with three playoff appearances under Wimes, the program’s best run since 2005-07.

South Atlanta promoted defensive coordinator Keith Whatley to replace Jeff Franklin, who joined Westlake’s staff as defensive backs coach. Whatley has been South Atlanta’s track and field coach since 2015. A football coach since 2009, he has also been on staffs at Tri-Cities, Washington and alma mater Douglass. He is a former Central Florida and Savannah State defensive back. South Atlanta, a three-time region champion earlier in the decade, was 13-20 in Franklin’s three seasons and 3-8 in 2025.