Today’s interviewee is Jackson County coach Rich McWhorter, who got his 300th career win last week in a 42-27 victory over Greenbrier. Jackson County can clinch a playoff berth out of Region 8-5A with a victory Friday at Apalachee. McWhorter took the Jackson County job in 2019 after 29 seasons at Charlton County, where he won four state titles. His record is 300-96-2.
Rich McWhorter, Jackson County head coach
1. What are your thoughts on No. 300? “It really makes you think of all the great players I’ve had and great coaches I’ve worked with. At the end of the day, that’s what it comes down to. At Charlton County, we had a long run with some outstanding football teams and went deep into the playoffs. It was a good situation with a community and an administration that was completely bought in, especially Jesse Crews, our athletic director. He was the only athletic director I had the whole time, and he was incredible. You get in a situation where you have that kind of support and those kinds of players and assistants, that’s a recipe for success.”
2. What has been the difference coaching at a small South Georgia school like Charlton and a middle-sized to bigger school like Jackson County in North Georgia? “The kids at Charlton County believed they could win, and that happened early, right away actually. [Charlton reached the Class A championship game in 1990, McWhorter’s first season as head coach.] Here, the players needed people to believe in them. You want them thinking, ‘We’re doing the right things; we deserve to win.’ Our kids do a great job in the weight room and on the practice field, but on Friday nights, we weren’t always seeing that translate. As we’ve won more, they’re beginning to see it translate under the Friday night lights. That’s been real encouraging.”
3. What factors led to your making the move to Jackson County in 2019? “Being at Charlton County so long, professionally speaking, I was getting a little stale. It was kind of like [the movie] ‘Groundhog Day,’ the same day over and over. Then, my older daughter was graduating from Valdosta State, and my youngest wanted to attend the University of North Georgia. That gave us reason to come up and look around. I have friends up in this area that say they really love it. So the job came open. I visited with Brad Hayes, the athletic director, and right away knew he was a guy I wanted to work for and that [principal] Jason Wester would be a guy I’d like to work for. I knew they’d do everything they could to get the whole athletic program headed in the right direction. I don’t regret the move at all. I love Charlton County. Everything about it was incredible. But I felt this was something I wanted to do, and it did rejuvenate me as far as coaching.”
4. Beating Greenbrier was more than a historic victory for you. It put the team in position to make the playoffs. How did the game go, and what did it mean? “Our line of scrimmage played really well. That’s the biggest thing I look at. If we’re winning there, we have a shot. Trey Ransom ran for 301 yards on 37 carries [and scored six touchdowns]. Our defense played terrific to only give up 27 points against that quarterback and receiver ranked in the top five in the state [in yards]. Winning that game put us in position to where this Friday in week 10 matters. That’s what we wanted – to be in games that matter, not just getting ready for the offseason and putting our equipment up. If we win, we’re in the playoffs, and if we lose, we’ve still got a chance. Apalachee is a terrific team. Coach [Tony] Lotti is as good a coach as I’ve met. They may be playing the best football they’ve played since I’ve been here, maybe the best in the region. It’s going to be a very tough, challenging game. But we’re happy to be in it and excited for the possibilities. That’s a lot of fun. That’s where you want to be.”
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