Hebron Christian hires ELCA’s Gess as football coach
Eagle’s Landing Christian coach Jonathan Gess, one of only five coaches in GHSA history to win six state titles, was announced Thursday as the head coach at Hebron Christian, a Class A Private school in Dacula.
Gess became ELCA’s coach in 2007, and his teams won Class A championships in 2012 and 2015-19. The five consecutive state titles set a GHSA record. Only Wright Bazemore (14), Larry Campbell (11), Nick Hyder (7) and Jess Simpson (7) have more championships as a GHSA head football coach.
Gess’s coaching record is 160-39. More than 75 of his ELCA players have gone on to play in college, 43 on scholarship.
“This hire will forever change the trajectory of our football program,” Hebron Christian athletic director Taylor Davis said. “It shows that as a school we are committed to pursuing excellence on and off the field. Coach Gess will not only transform this program to one of the top programs in the nation, but he is going to transform the lives of our young men. Our community looks forward to this next chapter of Hebron football.’’
Hebron Christian has played varsity football since 2007. Its best finish came in 2019, when the Lions made the Class A Private quarterfinals under former NFL player Jeff Saturday, who stepped down following that season.
Hebron was 3-7 and 4-7 the past two seasons under Stan Luttrell, who joined Colquitt County’s staff this offseason.
About the Author
Todd Holcomb covers high school sports across the state. He rejoined The Atlanta Journal-Constitution in 2025 and has worked with the AJC in varying capacities since 1985. He is a co-founder and editor of Georgia High School Football Daily.
