High School Sports

13 first-year head coaches whose teams reached second round of GHSA football playoffs

Clinch County coach Jim Dickerson (center), now in the first year of his second stint with the Panthers, celebrates with linebacker Trezmen Marshall (7) and wide receiver Michael Cleveland (5) after they defeated Irwin County 27-20 in the Class A public championship at Mercedes-Benz Stadium Tuesday, December 11, 2018, in Atlanta. (JASON GETZ/SPECIAL TO THE AJC)
Clinch County coach Jim Dickerson (center), now in the first year of his second stint with the Panthers, celebrates with linebacker Trezmen Marshall (7) and wide receiver Michael Cleveland (5) after they defeated Irwin County 27-20 in the Class A public championship at Mercedes-Benz Stadium Tuesday, December 11, 2018, in Atlanta. (JASON GETZ/SPECIAL TO THE AJC)
By
Nov 19, 2024

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