Number of hires: 10
Best hire: Chad Frazier, Whitewater
Hardest to replace: Cody Cory, Decatur
Best job: Whitewater
Toughest job: Forest Park
Most interesting: Forest Park has had 14 head coaches and no winning seasons this century. Now the Clayton County school is turning to one of its own, alumnus Rex Robertson. As offensive coordinator at Meadowcreek, Robertson knows what it’s like to turn around an apparently hopeless situation. Robertson was the offensive coordinator for Griffin’s 2016 team that averaged 43.4 points with quarterback Tylan Morton, who set a state record with 4,741 yards passing in a season. “We’re going to get new uniforms, we’re going to upgrade the facilities, paint them and make it look good, we’re going to go to 7-on-7 camps – everything we have to do to be relevant again,” Robertson said upon getting the job. The 7-on-7 didn’t happen because of COVID-19, but he’s making good on the rest. Robertson has brought in former Henry County head coach Mike Rozier as his offensive coordinator and former Georgia lineman Chester Adams as his defensive coordinator.
Region 1
None
Region 2
*Northside (Columbus) hired Harris County offensive coordinator Andrew Oropeza to replace Dave Nurnberg, who became offensive coordinator at Villa Rica. Oropeza, a Columbus native and Hardaway graduate, has been an offensive coordinator at Russell County (Alabama) and Shaw. Northside was 4-6 and 1-9 in two seasons under Nurnberg.
*Whitewater hired Union Grove head coach Chad Frazier to replace Bryan Holley. Union Grove improved its record in each of Frazier’s three seasons and went 7-3 in 2019. Frazier also has been head coach at Villa Rica and Heritage in Conyers. Whitewater has finished 1-9 and 2-8 after reaching the playoffs in Holley’s first two seasons. Holley is now on Pike County’s staff.
Region 3
*Forest Park hired Meadowcreek offensive coordinator Rex Robertson, an alumnus, to replace Gerren Griffin, who is now on Grady’s staff. Forest Park has not had a winning season since 2000.
*Tri-Cities promoted defensive coordinator Cuevas Dargan, an alumnus, to replace Terrence Banks, who is now Meadowcreek’s offensive coordinator. Dargan, 29, played linebacker at Alabama A&M and has coached at Tri-Cities since getting his master’s degree at A&M in 2016. Tri-Cities was 0-10 in Banks’ only season.
Region 4
*Union Grove hired Sandy Creek defensive coordinator Casey Smith to replace Chad Frazier, who became head coach at Whitewater. Smith was on Sandy Creek’s staff during state-championship seasons of 2010 and 2012. He assisted at Temple, Bowdon and Villa Rica before returning to Sandy Creek in 2017. A Heard County graduate, Smith coached nine seasons at Northgate to start his career. Union Grove finished 7-3 in 2019.
Region 5
*Decatur promoted defensive coordinator William Felton to replace Cody Cory, now an assistant at Highland Park in Texas. Felton, a Macon County graduate, has served two stints on Decatur’s staff, the most recent starting in 2016. Decatur was 7-4 last season and reached the playoffs for the first time since 2005. The school announced Monday that it was canceling its first three games because of COVID-19.
*Lithonia promoted defensive line coach Frederick Greene to interim head coach to replace Marcus Jelks, who is taking a year off to care for a newborn child. This is Greene’s second year on staff. He was at Beach previously. He is a former Albany State player. Lithonia was 4-7 last season in Jelks’ first year.
Region 6
None
Region 7
*Cass hired Kell assistant head coach and co-offensive coordinator Steve Gates to replace Bobby Hughes, who became Bartow County athletic coordinator. Gates joined Kell’s staff in 2016. He spent the previous five seasons at North Cobb, where he was run-game coordinator and offensive line coach. Gates is a former McEachern and University of Georgia offensive lineman. Cass was 4-6 last season and last made the playoffs in 2006.
Region 8
*Johnson (Gainesville) hired Hephzibah head coach William Harrell to replace Stan Luttrell, who took the Hebron Christian job. Harrell’s teams were 22-29 in five seasons. The 8-3 and 7-3 finishes the past two seasons mark the first back-to-back winning seasons at the Augusta-area school since 2008-09. Johnson was 4-6 last season. Its last winning season was 2004.
*Loganville hired Calhoun running backs coach Brad Smith, a Loganville alumnus, to replace Mike Humphreys, whose teams were 27-29 in five seasons. Smith has been on staffs at North Murray, Dalton, Flowery Branch, Chestatee and Sonoraville. He has often headed up strength-and-conditioning in addition to on-field coaching duties. Loganville was 3-8 last season. Humphreys remains at the school as a P.E. teacher and plans to retire at the end of the school year.
Coming Thursday: Class 4A
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