Darius Smiley began this week as Class 3A champion Sandy Creek’s new football coach, filling one of 89 reported offseason hires. Thirteen jobs remain open.
Smiley was coach at Central of Carrollton the past six seasons and got the Lions to the playoffs the past two. He’s a Florida native and former Georgia Southern player who also has coached at Newnan and Riverside Military.
Our New Head Coach Darius Smiley’s 1st day and 1st meeting with the team as HC! Awesome first day on the job Coach Smiley #TheCreekContinuesToRise @CoachSmiley983 @TROliverEDU @athletics_creek @FayetteSports pic.twitter.com/2m0svYFG6d
— Sandy Creek Football (@SCHSPatriots) March 29, 2023
He’ll replace Brett Garvin, who retired after 22 seasons at Sandy Creek, the past seven as head coach.
In other recent hires, Berkmar hired Hughes offensive coordinator Andrico Hines to replace Cole Meyer. Hines’ offense set a state record for points scored last season during Hughes’ Class 6A championship season.
Discovery, another Gwinnett County school, hired Central Gwinnett assistant Roy Groshek.
South Paulding hired Pebblebrook offensive coordinator Maurice Allen to replace Sumo Robinson, who became head coach at Paulding County.
Rockdale County hired Kenderrick Bonner, who was head coach at Johnson in Savannah.
Here are the 89 openings with the former and current coach if hired.
Alexander - Cody Neal. Former coach: Olten Downs
Allatoona - Brad Smith. Former coach: Gary Varner
Apalachee - Mike Hancock. Former coach: Tony Lotti
Armuchee - Eric Belew. Former coach: Jeremy Green
Atkinson County - Bobby Jones. Former coach: Carl McGowan.
Berkmar - Andrico Hines. Former coach: Cole Meyer
Blessed Trinity - Ed Dudley. Former coach: Tom Hall
Burke County - Franklin Stephens. Former coach: Eric Parker
Campbell - Jeff Phillips. Former coach: Howie Decristofaro
Centennial - Adam Miller. Former coach: Sean O’Sullivan
Central-Carrollton - Umbrah Brown. Former coach: Darius Smiley
Central-Macon - Jarrett Laws. Former coach: Joaquin Sample
Central-Talbotton - Andrew Hall. Former coach: Chris Cowart
Chattahoochee - Danny Carlisle. Former coach: Mike Malone
Chattahoochee County - Josh Jacobson. Former coach: Ryan McKenzie
Chattooga - Roone Gable. Former coach: Shawn Peek
Chestatee - Stuart Cunningham. Former coach: Shaun Conley
Clarkston - Open. Former coach: Terrance Hughey
Coahulla Creek - Drew Carter. Former coach: Danny Wilson
Collins Hill - Drew Swick. Former coach: Lenny Gregory
Crawford County: Open. Former coach: Craig Puckett
Dacula - Reggie Stancil. Former coach: Casey Vogt
Darlington - Wayne Groves. Former coach: Tommy Atha
Discovery - Roy Groshek. Former coach: Efrem Hill
Dodge County - Thomas Smith. Former coach: Ray Hardin
Eagle’s Landing - Johnny Teemer. Former coach: Markus Brown
Early County - Frank Killingsworth. Former coach: Joel Harvin
Fellowship Christian - John Thompson. Former coach: Tim McFarlin
Forsyth Central - Chad Pickett. Former coach: David Rooney
Franklin County - Chuck Holland. Former coach: Parker Martin
GMC Prep - Bobby Rhoades. Former coach: Lee Coleman
Gordon Central - Lenny Gregory. Former coach: TJ Hamilton
Grayson - Santavious Bryant. Former coach: Adam Carter
Griffin - Clifford Fedd. Former coach: Rusty Easom
Hardaway - Ryan McKenzie. Former coach: Corey Thompson
Hawkinsville - Tim Suttles. Former coach: Shane Williamson
Jackson - Christopher Henderson. Former coach: Dary Myricks
Jackson County - Korey Mobbs. Former coach: Rich McWhorter
Jefferson County - Marlo East. Former coach: JB Arnold
Johns Creek - Jim Rowell. Former coach: Drew Connell
Johnson (Savannah) - Steven Smith. Former coach: Kenderrick Bonner
Loganville - Open. Former coach: Brad Smith
Lowndes - Adam Carter. Former coach: Zach Grage
ML King - Joel Kight. Former coach: Deante Lamar
McEachern - Kareem Reid. Former coach: Franklin Stephens
Metter - Lee Shaw. Former coach: Rodney Garvin
Miller County - Daniel McFather. Former coach: Nate George
New Manchester - Olten Downs. Former coach: Cedric Jackson
Newton - Josh Skelton. Former coach: Camiel Grant
North Gwinnett - Eric Godfree. Former coach: Bill Stewart
North Springs - Robert Brauch. Former coach: Jeff Phillips
Northside (Warner Robins) - Ben Bailey. Former coach: Chad Alligood
Parkview - Joe Sturdivant. Former coach: Eric Godfree
Pataula Charter - Open. Former coach: Daniel McFather
Paulding County - Sumo Robinson. Former coach: Umbrah Brown
Peach County - Marquis Westbrook. Former coach: Chad Campbell
Pebblebrook - Michael Woolridge. Former coach: Leroy Hood
Pope - Sean O’Sullivan. Former coach: Tab Griffin
Providence Christian - Open. Former coach: Joe Sturdivant
Putnam County - Joel Harvin. Former coach: Shaun Pope
Redan - Damien Wimes. Former coach: Derek Vaughn
Ringgold - Austin Crisp. Former coach: Robert Akins
Rockdale County - Kenderrick Bonner. Former coach: Lee Hannah
Rutland - Open. Former coach: Jamarcus Johnson
Salem - Leroy Hood. Former coach: Jarrett Laws
Sandy Creek - Darius Smiley. Former coach: Brett Garvin
Savannah - Open. Former coach: Michael Moore
Seckinger - Tony Lotti. Former coach: Aaron Hill
Shaw - Johnny Garner. Former coach: Blair Harrison
South Atlanta - Open. Former coach: Michael Woolridge.
South Effingham - Open. Former coach: Nathan Clark.
South Paulding - Maurice Allen. Former coach: Eric “Sumo” Robinson
Southwest DeKalb - Marion Bell. Former coach: Damien Wimes
Statesboro - Matt Dobson. Former coach: Jeff Kaiser
Sumter County - Will Rogers. Former coach: Clifford Fedd
Toombs County - Buddy Martin. Former coach: Richie Marsh
Treutlen - Pat Collins. Former coach: Steve Versprille
Tri-Cities - Open. Former coach: Cuevas Dargan
Twiggs County - Open. Former coach: Irade Perry
Vidalia - Rodney Garvin. Former coach: Jason Cameron
Villa Rica - Austin Barron. Former coach: Tim Barron
Walker - T.J. Anderson. Former coach: Tom Evangelista
Warner Robins - Shane Sams. Former coach: Marquis Westbrook
Westover - Octavia Jones. Former coach: Adam Miller
Wheeler County - Open. Former coach: Thomas Smith
Whitefield Academy - Robert Walsh. Former coach: Coleman Joiner
Winder-Barrow - Robert Paxia. Former coach: Ed Dudley
Woodland-Stockbridge - Open. Former coach: Julian Hicks
Woodstock - Dan Devine. Former coach: Troy Hoff
