13 first-year head coaches whose teams reached second round of GHSA football playoffs
The 128 remaining playoff teams represent 30.8% of the GHSA’s 412 teams, but only 10.2% of new head coaches have their teams in the second round. Here are the 13.
Kevin Patterson, Baldwin
Josh McFather, Brooks County
Tyler Jones, Cambridge
Jim Dickerson, Clinch County
Phillip Brown, Dodge County
Van Spence, East Paulding
Zach Slaney, King’s Ridge Christian
Kurt Williams, Macon County
Demonta Prather, Manchester
Tom Causey, Miller County
Dustin Adkins, Ola
Roc Batten, Savannah Country Day
David Cooper, Starr’s Mill
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.
