Class 4A
Number of hires: 14
Best hire: Rodney Cofield, McDonough
Hardest to replace: Ron Gartrell, Stephenson
Best job: Stephenson
Toughest job: Jordan
Most interesting: Ron Gartrell, the second-winningest coach in DeKalb County Schools history, retired after 33 seasons as a head coach, the past 25 at Stephenson, a program he started. He won 243 games and 10 region titles and sent more than 250 players into college football, perhaps the most of any high school coach in state history. Among those NFL players were Jeff Saturday, Kregg Lumpkin, Marcus Ball, Kelvin Sheppard, Perry Riley and Cosey Coleman. Gartrell’s successor is Marcus Jelks, a member of Gartrell’s first Stephenson team in 1996. “Coach Gartrell was a father figure to me, and I just saw myself in Coach Gartrell’s shoes someday,” Jelks said. “I wanted to be just like him.”
Region 1
*Monroe hired Baytown (Texas) co-offensive coordinator and receivers coach Lacey Herring to replace Charles Truitt. Herring has coached the past six seasons in Texas but worked previously in Georgia at Turner County. He played at Coffee. Monroe was 0-4 last season and 85-90 in 17 seasons under Truitt, who is now defensive coordinator at Tiftarea Academy.
*Westover hired Shiloh offensive coordinator Adam Miller to replace Olten Downs, who became head coach at Alexander. Miller was the quarterbacks coach and recruiting coordinator for Albany State from 2017 to 2019. He was head coach of alma mater Coral Springs Charter in Florida from 2012 to 2016. His Coral Springs teams were 31-11. Westover was 12-14 in three seasons under Downs.
Region 2
*Hardaway hired Aaron Cohn Middle School head coach Corey Thompson to replace Michael Woolridge, who became head coach at South Atlanta. Thompson, a Douglass alumnus, played at Louisville as a wide receiver. He broke into coaching with Champagnat Catholic and was on staff for one Florida state championship season. Hardaway was 7-4 in 2020, the Golden Hawks’ third consecutive winning season, their best three-year run since 1998-2000.
*Jordan promoted assistant Dale Overton to replace Joseph Kegler, who became head coach at Spencer. Overton, a former Auburn wide receiver, had been a head coach in his native Alabama at Grissom (2012-13), Tharptown (2006-08) and Chilton County (1999). He retired in 2017 and went into sales but returned to teaching and coaching at Jordan last year. Jordan was 4-25 in three seasons under Kegler and last had a winning season in 1993.
*Spencer hired Jordan coach Joseph Kegler to replace Robert Sanders, who remained at the school as a teacher and wrestling coach. Kegler has been head coach at alma mater Carver of Columbus (2013-15) and Jordan (2018-20). His Carver teams won two region titles. Spencer was 4-16 in two seasons under Sanders.
Region 3
*Jenkins hired Claxton coach Tony Welch to replace Gene Clemons, who was let go after one season. Welch has a 38-56 record in rebuilding projects at alma mater Claxton (2017-20), Savannah (2015-16) and Memorial Day (2006-07). His 2016 Savannah team won the school’s first playoff game since 1993. Jenkins was 4-4 in 2020 and 47-13 over the past five seasons, the best five-year run in school history.
Region 4
*Rutland hired Mary Persons offensive line coach Jamarcus Johnson to replace Rusty Easom, who became head coach at Griffin. Johnson, a former Georgia Southern player, coached at Mary Persons, his alma mater, for nine of the past 11 years excluding a 2013-14 stint at Griffin, where he was the offensive line coach on a state championship team. Rutland was 1-7 in 2020 and holds only nine wins over the past six seasons.
Region 5
*McDonough hired Douglass coach Rodney Cofield to replace Eric Solomon, who moved to South Carolina. Cofield was 46-47 at Douglass, a program that had lost 23 consecutive games when Cofield was hired in 2012. The Astros were 11-2 and reached the Class 2A quarterfinals in 2019, though finished 0-5 last season, cutting the season short amid COVID-19 fallout. Cofield previously coached at Washington, where he won three region titles. His overall record is 143-93-1. McDonough finished 1-9 last season and hasn’t had a winning season since 2011, when the school was known as Henry County High.
Region 6
*Arabia Mountain hired New Manchester defensive coordinator Julian Washington to replace Stanley Pritchett, who became head coach at Douglass. New Manchester won its first region title in Washington’s only season with the school. He also has assisted at North Atlanta, Duluth, Windsor Forest and Southwestern Oklahoma State. Arabia Mountain was 3-5 last season and 44-40 with two region titles in Pritchett’s eight seasons.
*Druid Hills hired Lithonia coach Frederick Greene to replace Mark Myers. Green was Lithonia’s interim coach in 2020, his second season with the school. He previously had been on Beach’s staff. Druid Hills was 1-2 in 2020 and cut the season short over COVID-19 concerns. Druid Hills last had a winning season in 1993.
*Miller Grove hired Stephenson offensive coordinator Melvin Brown to replace Lee Hannah, who became head coach at Rockdale County. Brown, a New Jersey native, coached the past 17 seasons at Stephenson and was part of seven region championships. He started his career in 2002 at Clarkston. Miller Grove was 3-5 last season.
*Stephenson hired Lithonia athletic director and former head coach Marcus Jelks to replace Ron Gartrell, who retired. A Stephenson graduate, Jelks played at South Carolina State, joined Stephenson’s staff after graduation and worked three years under Gartrell before going to Lithonia. Jelks became Lithonia’s head coach in 2010, though stepped down last season to help care for a newborn child. He was Lithonia’s athletic director the past three seasons. Stephenson was 4-3 last season, making the playoffs for the 21st straight time.
Region 7
*Pickens promoted defensive coordinator Grant Myers to replace Jeff Nelson. Myers, a Shiloh graduate and former Shorter player, was on Spalding’s staff for eight seasons before coming to Pickens in 2019. Pickens was 9-11 in two seasons under Nelson, who is now Gilmer’s offensive coordinator.
Region 8
*East Hall hired Lakeview Academy offensive coordinator Matt Turner to replace Michael Perry, who became head coach at Union County. Turner is a 2001 East Hall graduate who ran offenses at his alma mater for nine seasons. He was out of coaching for two seasons until joining Lakeview’s staff last year. East Hall was 6-12 in two seasons under Perry.
Coming Friday: Class 3A
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