Citing health reasons, football coach Lee Shaw retires with 197 victories
Metter football coach Lee Shaw, who won region titles at three schools and made state contenders out of Flowery Branch and Rabun County, announced his retirement Monday, citing health reasons.
Shaw was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2017 while at Rabun County. The symptoms were manageable and hardly noticeable until recently, Shaw told AJC Varsity.
“In the spring, the symptoms really started ramping up, and it became a real challenge to get through practice,” Shaw said. “I had to miss several games this season, and I just came to the conclusion that I wasn’t able to coach the way I wanted to coach. The last thing I wanted to do was to cheat the team and the program and the game. I felt it was time to step down.”
Shaw missed the final six games of this season. Shaw said he would listen on radio, watch film the next day, converse with assistants throughout the week and occasionally attend practices, but he could not get back on the sidelines. Defensive coordinator Chandler Newton was acting head coach during games.
Shaw’s career record is 197-133 over 29 seasons at five schools that also include White County and Lakeview Academy.
Shaw started the football program at Flowery Branch High School in 2002 and took the Falcons to the 2008 Class 3A championship game. Sons Jaybo and Connor were all-state quarterbacks at Flowery Branch.
Shaw won five region titles at alma mater Rabun County and led the Wildcats to a 2017 Class 2A championship game. Shaw was Georgia quarterback Gunner Stockton’s first high school coach when Stockton was a 2018 freshman and first-team all-state player.
Rabun County had won only one previous region title before Shaw’s first in 2014. In a 2025 article, AJC Varsity named Shaw’s hire as the 10th best for a Georgia coach this century. Jaybo Shaw was Shaw’s successor at Rabun County and now coaches Dawson County.
Shaw’s best finish in four seasons at Metter was a 10-2 mark in 2024.
Shaw said he was moving back to his native Rabun County, where his daughter, Anna Kate, is an elementary school teacher.
“I’m going to surround myself with family,” Shaw said. “I’ve got three children and 10 grandkids, and Rabun is a central location where I can get to all of them.”
Shaw is one of 21 coaches in GHSA history to win region titles and 10 or more games at three schools. He coached seven quarterbacks who made the AJC all-state team. Between them, they were picked 12 times, with his sons accounting for five of those seasons.
Shaw said he was most proud of the friendships he made during more than three decades of coaching.
“I know it’s a cliche, but it’s the relationships you build with your players and your coaching staff,” Shaw said. “It’s just a bond that’s truly a brotherhood. I’ve had some good players and coaches on my staff. I’m just proud to have been a football coach.”