Fellowship Christian hires former SEC defensive coordinator as football coach

Fellowship Christian Paladins helmets rest on the field at Barron Stadium in Rome on Aug. 19, 2022 during the 31st annual Corky Kell Classic. (Adam Krohn/for the AJC)

Credit: Adam Krohn

Credit: Adam Krohn

Fellowship Christian Paladins helmets rest on the field at Barron Stadium in Rome on Aug. 19, 2022 during the 31st annual Corky Kell Classic. (Adam Krohn/for the AJC)

Fellowship Christian promoted defensive coordinator John Thompson to head coach, making the announcement Saturday night.

Thompson is a former defensive coordinator or co-coordinator at Ole Miss, Florida, Arkansas and South Carolina. He was East Carolina’s head coach in 2003 and 2004 and was Georgia State’s first defensive coordinator under coach Bill Curry and served from 2008 to 2011.

Thompson, 67, joined Fellowship’s staff in 2021 under coach Tim McFarlin, who was hired earlier this month as Georgia Tech’s director of high school relations.

“Coach Thompson has earned the respect of players and fellow coaches when it comes to his knowledge of the game, his tremendous work ethic and meticulous preparation,’’ athletic director David Lowery said in a statement. “The players believe in him and his ability to game plan for our opponents.”

Fellowship Christian is a Roswell private school that has won region titles each of the past four seasons, the first three in Class A Private and most recently in 2A. This past season, the team was 10-4 and reached the semifinals, losing to Fitzgerald 19-9.