North Hall has announced the hiring of Sean Pender, who was Stetson Bennett’s high school football coach and led Brunswick to its first 10-win season this century in 2021.

Pender had been at Brunswick for five seasons. His teams were 35-21 overall and 11-1 with a Region 2-6A championship this past season.

Pender also has been head coach at Pierce County, Crisp County and Brantley County. He was the head coach of two University of Georgia starters in the national championship game victory over Alabama. Bennett played for Pender at Pierce County, and tackle Warren McClendon played for him at Brunswick.

North Hall was 6-5 last season under David Bishop, who had guided the Trojans since 2014. North Hall has made the playoffs each of the past seven seasons but hasn’t gone past the second round since 2012.

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Ceudy Gutierrez reads a book to her 2-year-old son, Matias, at their home in Buford, GA, on Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2025. Ceudy Gutierrez is struggling to make ends meet for herself and her three young kids following her husband’s ICE arrest earlier this fall. (Miguel Martinez/ AJC)

Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez