Shawn Sutton, hired last month as Pelham’s football coach, won’t be taking the job after all, the school’s superintendent announced Monday.
Sutton was Valdosta’s offensive coordinator last season and was announced as Pelham’s coach March 31.
“Due to unforeseen circumstances, Shawn Sutton will not be the Head Coach of the Pelham Hornets football team,’' superintendent Floyd Fort said in a statement. “I will recommend that the Pelham Board of Education accept his resignation. This is an unfortunate situation. However, the future is very bright for Pelham Hornet Football. Going forward, as your superintendent, I am committed to employing the very best candidate available for the position.’'
Sutton, a longtime assistant to Rush Propst during stops at Valdosta, Colquitt County and Hoover, was set to replace Dondrial Pinkins, who became head coach at arch-rival Mitchell County. Propst is under administrative leave for alleged misconduct over claims by a former football booster-club director that he sought money to help two transfer athletes pay living expenses.
Sutton was considered by some to be Propst’s top assistant at Colquitt, where Sutton served a couple of stints and worked as offensive coordinator and weight-room coordinator at various times.
Sutton also has worked at several schools in Alabama, his home state. He was head coach at Ashville in Alabama from 2000 to 2003.
This marks the second time that Sutton has been announced as a head coach at a Georgia high school but not fill the role. In 2015, Troup hired Sutton, but Sutton changed his mind and returned to Colquitt County.
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