Jones County hires Carrollton defensive coordinator
Carrollton defensive coordinator Justin Montgomery was approved as Jones County’s head football coach at a school board meeting Tuesday night.
Montgomery will replace Mike Chastain, who surprisingly resigned two weeks ago with a 56-20 record.
Montgomery was Carrollton’s defensive coordinator the past four seasons, arriving in 2021 with head coach Joey King. Carrollton was a state runner-up in 2022 and 2024.
Montgomery has been a defensive coordinator at Thomasville (2020) and Valdosta (2018-19) and worked the 2017 season on Chastain’s staff at Warner Robins.
Chastain, who won more games than any other coach in Jones County history, stepped down after several parents and supporters were critical of him, specifically for firing an assistant coach, during a board of education meeting last month. They also criticized athletic director Chad Alligood, who supported Chastain. Chastain and Alligood resigned several days later.
Jones County was 10-2 last season and won three region titles in Chastain’s six seasons.
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.
