Today’s interviewee is Worth County coach Jeff Hammond, whose team is 6-0 after a 47-38 Region 1-2A victory over Dodge County. Worth County was 4-6 in 2021. Hammond was Coffee’s offensive coordinator last season. He was Spalding’s head coach in 2019 and was on Rush Propst’s staff at Colquitt County in 2008-12 and 2016-18.
1. What have you and your staff done that has made the biggest difference in getting Worth County going in the right direction? “There are several things that have made us successful this year. First, our assistant coaches have done a wonderful job of coaching these kids. Secondly, our community has gone above and beyond to take care of our boys and show them support. Third, I have been completely honest with them. When we practice good, I tell them it was good, and when we practice bad, I tell them it is bad. I try to lay it all out there so they know what to expect and what it will take for us to be successful. Our players have bought into the process.”
2. You had one other head coaching job, at Spalding in 2019, but you stepped down after one year. Why did you want the Worth County job? “Spalding was a good learning experience. It is a good school and has great administration. I think personally I am a better fit in south Georgia. It’s similar to what I grew up in. It keeps calling me home. I always thought that Worth County was a smaller Colquitt County. There is tradition at Worth County. It’s a single-school county, so I knew we could do a lot of things that we did at Colquitt that helped to turn that program around. Funny thing is I inquired about this job a few years ago before Coach Frankie Carrol took over. I am just happy to land here. I hope this is the last place I ever have to work.”
3. You’ve worked for some successful coaches, namely Rush Propst and Robby Pruitt. What were the most important things that each of them taught you? “Working for Rush you have to think big. He always pushed us to do things on a championship level. Rush would talk about being elite and playing for championships way before we were ready to play for them. Robby taught me to hire good men. How coaches fit within the staff matters as much as how good of a football coach they are. They both share great leadership qualities, and it was a blessing to get to work and learn from each of them.”
4. You’ve got a big game this week. What do you need to do to be successful against Fitzgerald? “Fitzgerald is the king of the mountain right now. Tucker Pruitt has done an unbelievable job of establishing a culture of winning and toughness. It will be a good measuring stick to find out where our program is because that is the type of program that I want here in Worth County. To have a chance to win this week, we will need to match their physical style and execute in all three phases. I told the kids that there aren’t many times you get a chance to match up with the No. 1 team in the state, so we have nothing to lose. Just relax and go play.”
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