Commerce coach on turnaround: ‘Never doubted as long as we stayed the course’
Today’s Four Questions interviewee is Commerce coach Lenny Gregory, whose team is 7-0 after finishing 2-8 in his first season. Commerce has avenged four 2025 losses (East Jackson, Elbert County, Oglethorpe County, Rabun County), the most of any GHSA school this season. Commerce is playing at Prince Avenue Christian for first place in Region 8-2A on Friday. Gregory is best known for his time at Collins Hill, where he won a state title in the highest classification in 2021 with future Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter as his biggest star.
1. What’s different this season? Why is the team performing so much better?
“We were really young last year, and our roster was full of young kids, and then you add in that you are installing a new scheme offensively and defensively. It’s a lot of learning and buying in. Coming into any first year, that’s the hardest thing, to get buy in. They weren’t sure about the new guy. The kids now realize I’m not going anywhere, and they bought in. And we weren’t good (strong) in the weight room last year because we were so young. So we went to work and got bigger, faster, stronger in the offseason.”
2. Were you surprised that the first season was such a struggle?
“I really was. I knew it was going to be a challenge just because you’re going from a program that’s run the triple option for 99 years and trying to introduce the spread. I just didn’t realize how big a challenge. The kids were used to winning, so it just goes to show that kids are kids. When things don’t go the way they’re supposed to, frustration sets in. We lost a lot of close games, and that made it worse. I thought we were going to pull out some of those earlier games, but we lost some, and it snowballed. So yeah, I was surprised, but we were able to finish out with two wins and went into the offseason with a good plan, and the kids bought into it.”
Note: Commerce is the first team in state history to follow an 0-8 start to a season with a nine-game winning streak extending into the next season, according to the Georgia High School Football Historians Association. One other team came close. In 2018, Bowdon started 0-9 with its new coach, Rich Fendley, before winning its final 2018 game and the first six of 2019 for a seven-game winning streak. Bowdon under Fendley would go on to win four Class A championships in 2022-25. Commerce’s nine-game winning streak is tied for the longest following an eight-game losing streak of any kind. Columbus won nine straight after losing 14 straight in 1992-94, and Creekside won nine straight after losing eight straight in 1995-96. Their winning streaks did not begin after an 0-8 start.
3. Did you ever question that you could get it turned around?
“I never doubted as long as we stayed the course and didn’t bail out. I believed in the plan. I felt like the biggest thing was to identify the problems and improve them. We’ve made improvements on the coaching staff, and I was able to get in some guys that I needed in some key roles. That was a big deal. So no, I’m not surprised. Looking back, we were really talented last year, just young, and we just needed to develop it. I felt the first couple of games this season were pivotal, that if we could get those wins we could get momentum and win every game we’re in.”
Note: The new offensive coordinator is Michael Davis, a former Rabun County head coach who has won a state title as an offensive coordinator at Hebron Christian last season and at Calhoun three times under Hal Lamb. The receivers coach and special teams coordinator is Richard Morgan, the head coach for Marietta’s 2019 state-championship team. The offensive line coach is Rodney Satterfield, the offensive coordinator for Chattahoochee’s 2010 state championship team.
Gregory also said that settling on a starting quarterback heading into the offseason was pivotal. Tate Kirk took over the job as a sophomore at midseason last season. He threw nine TD passes and five interceptions. This season, he has thrown 15 TD passes and one interception.
4. What would people see if they’d never seen your team play? And what does Prince Avenue do well?
“With us, I think you’d see a team that plays with a lot of effort and toughness and you’d see a lot of good skill players. Our receivers roster is deep. You’d be impressed with our young tailback, Marco Huff, who is having an outstanding sophomore year. He’s a dynamic special player.
“Prince Avenue has got a loaded roster with guys at every position. It’s a heavy-senior loaded roster. Their running back (Andrew Beard) is committed to Florida. They’ve got several guys with college offers. They’re as advertised. It will be a big game. They’ve got a good football team. We’ve got a good football team. If I wasn’t coaching, I’d want to come to this game and watch it. It’s what championship games are all about.”
Note: Prince Avenue’s Florida-committed back is Andrew Beard, who has rushed for nearly 4,000 yards the past three seasons. Jefferson’s sophomore tailback is Marco Huff, who has rushed for 896 yards and 16 touchdowns in seven games. He has a Georgia offer.