Number of hires: 7
Best hire: Rush Propst, Valdosta
Hardest to replace: Jason Thompson, South Paulding
Best job: Valdosta
Toughest job: Centennial
Most interesting: Valdosta made a stunning move in January when the school board voted 5-4 not to extend the contract of Alan Rodemaker, whose record was 36-17 over four seasons. Rodemaker’s successes included a state title in 2016, the school’s first since 1998, and a 10-3 quarterfinal finish in 2019. Rodemaker didn’t attend the board meeting, confident his job was safe, and believed his firing was racially motivated as the five board members who voted to oust him were African-American; the four supporting him were white. In April, Valdosta hired Rush Propst, who had been ousted himself from Colquitt County a year earlier despite a remarkable 11-year run that included state titles in 2014 and 2015. Propst had been accused of insubordination, losing control of the team, giving out medication to student-athletes and owing back taxes, charges that Propst mostly denied. He won back his teaching certificate in March, claiming vindication. Propst, who also is white, was approved by the board 5-4, with the same five supporting him who had voted for the original coaching change. Rodemaker since has joined Colquitt County’s staff.
Region 1
*Northside (Warner Robins) promoted offensive coordinator Chad Alligood to replace Kevin Kinsler, who retired after 31 seasons with the school. Alligood has been Northside’s offensive coordinator eight of the past 10 years, including during the Eagles’ 2014 Class 5A championship season. Alligood spent 2017 and 2018 as head coach of Class A Washington-Wilkes, where his teams were 10-12. Alligood’s time at Northside also includes six previous seasons (1999-2004) while Conrad Nix was head coach. He also has been on staffs at John Milledge Academy, Wilkinson County, Perry and First Presbyterian. Northside was 100-28 during Kinsler’s 10 seasons as head coach, though it slipped to 3-7 in 2019.
*Valdosta hired former Colquitt County coach Rush Propst to replace Alan Rodemaker. Propst’s record was 119-35 in 11 seasons at Colquitt County (2008-18) with undefeated state champions in 2014 and 2015. His career record is 295-96 with seven state titles, five at Hoover in Alabama. Rodemaker is now Colquitt County’s defensive coordinator.
Region 2
None
Region 3
*Rockdale County named offensive line coach Derek Coggin as interim coach to replace Jamie Baldwin, who passed away July 11. Coggin has coached at Georgia high schools for 27 seasons and joined Rockdale’s staff in 2018. He has also coached at Apalachee, Swainsboro, Dacula, Fannin County, Hart County, Jonesboro, Shiloh and alma mater Newton.
Region 4
*North Atlanta promoted offensive coordinator Jamie Aull to replace Sean O’Sullivan, who became head coach at Centennial. North Atlanta was 12-9 in two seasons under O’Sullivan and reached the playoffs in 2019 for the first time since 1996. Aull has been a head coach at Our Lady of Mercy (2016-17) and Mount Zion of Jonesboro (2009-11). He has been an assistant at Griffin and Drew.
Region 5
*South Paulding promoted defensive coordinator Jason Nash to replace Jason Thompson, who became head coach at Central Gwinnett. Nash, a Tennessee native, has coached in Georgia for 18 seasons, including stops at Grayson (2018 defensive coordinator), Colquitt County (2017 safeties coach), South Forsyth (2010-16 defensive coordinator), Worth County, Walnut Grove and Elbert County. This will be his first head-coaching job. South Paulding was 9-3 in 2019.
Region 6
None
Region 7
*Centennial hired North Atlanta coach Sean O’Sullivan to replace Shane Sams, who became offensive coordinator at Northside (Warner Robins). O’Sullivan last season led North Atlanta to the playoffs for the first time since 1996. O’Sullivan was Pope’s defensive coordinator in 2017 and was on the staff of Westminster’s team that won a state title in 2015. O’Sullivan also has coached at Mount Vernon Presbyterian and in college at Southeastern Louisiana, Delta State and alma mater Mars Hill. Centennial finished 0-10 last season, including a 44-0 loss to O’Sullivan’s North Atlanta team, after going 7-4 in 2018.
Region 8
*Central Gwinnett hired South Paulding head coach Jason Thompson to replace Todd Wofford, who is now on Collins Hill’s staff. Thompson was the defensive coordinator at North Gwinnett from 2012 through 2016. The 2013 team was the Class 6A runner-up to Norcross. From 2009 through 2011, Thompson was an assistant at Central, the last two seasons under Wofford. South Paulding was 9-3 this past season after winning only five games the previous three seasons. According to the computer Maxwell Ratings, South performed better than preseason expectations more than any other program in the classification.
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