Denmark football coach Terry Crowder, who led Forsyth County’s newest high school into the playoffs in just two seasons, announced his retirement from public schools Friday morning. Crowder said he would seek other coaching opportunities that would allow him to collect retirement while continuing to coach.
‘’It’s been 30 years [in public schools], and I’m going to explore some options, maybe in the private sector,’’ Crowder said. “I think most coaches when they get to that 30-year period, they can take advantage of some things.’’
Crowder planned to share the news with his Denmark players Friday afternoon.
‘’Denmark is a special place, and I was fortunate enough to have some good players coming in here,’’ Crowder said. “It’s going to be a good job for a long time.’’
Crowder, an Arkansas native, has been a head coach for 17 seasons starting with Chattahoochee in 2004. His 2010 Chattahoochee team became the first from Fulton County Schools to finish unbeaten since Roswell in 1968.
Crowder was coach at Creekview in Cherokee County for five seasons. His teams there were 31-22.
Crowder then took the Denmark job in 2018. Denmark opened with a 5-5 finish and became only the second school out of 39 this century to finish .500 in its first varsity season while playing a full region schedule. The other was Rutland in 2003.
In 2019, Denmark finished 7-3, reached the playoffs and lost only to top-10 teams Blessed Trinity, Marist and Sandy Creek. Denmark wide receiver Ze’Vian Capers in preseason became the first player from Forsyth County to make the AJC Super 11 team.
The Denmark opening is the 37th reported this offseason among the GHSA’s 425 football-playing schools.
Only eight have been filled, and another 50 or more are expected to open if recent seasons are indicative.
Prior to Denmark, the most recent opening came this week at West Forsyth, where Shawn Cahill stepped down after three seasons. Cahill’s teams were 17-16 overall, 4-6 in 2019.
The most recent hire came this week at Lowndes, which announced Jamie Dubose to replace the retiring Randy McPherson. Lowndes was the Class AAAAAAA runner-up last season under McPherson, who led the Vikings to state titles in 2004, 2005 and 2007.
Dubose won a state title at Central of Phenix City, Ala., in 2018. He’d also won championships at Prattville in 2008 and 2011. Dubose’s record as a head coach is 137-39, according to the Alabama High School Football Historical Society.
Also this week, Coosa in Floyd County hired Joey Mathis, a Calhoun native who led Marion County, Tenn., to Class 2A championship games in 2015 and 2016, first as offensive coordinator, then as head coach.
Several prominent jobs are open. Among them are Hillgrove, Northside-Warner Robins and Lincoln County.
Below are the 36 reported openings.
Alpharetta - Former coach: Jacob Nichols. New coach: Open
Cedartown - Former coach: Doyle Kelley. New coach: Open
Central Gwinnett - Former coach: Todd Wofford. New coach: Jason Thompson
Chattahoochee County - Former coach: Jody Allen. New coach: Open
Chattooga - Former coach: Charles Hammon. New coach: Open
Coahulla Creek - Former coach: Caleb Bagley. New coach: Open
Coosa - Former coach: Todd Wheeler. New coach: Joey Mathis
Denmark – Former coach: Terry Crowder. New coach: Open
Dooly County - Former coach: Ashley Harden. New coach: Open
Druid Hills - Former coach: Rosaria Rice. New coach: Open
Forest Park - Former coach: Gerren Griffin. New coach: Open
Hillgrove - Former coach: Phillip Ironside. New coach: Open
King's Ridge Christian - Former coach: Jeff Pickren. New coach: Open
KIPP Atlanta Collegiate - Former coach: James Briscoe. New coach: Open
LaGrange - Former coach: Chuck Gibbs. New coach: Matt Napier
Lambert - Former coach: Louis Daniel. New coach: Open
Lincoln County - Former coach: Michael Pollock. New coach: Open
Lowndes - Former coach: Randy McPherson. New coach: Jamie Dubose
Manchester - Former coach: Evan Hochstetler. New coach: Open
Mount Zion (Jonesboro) - Former coach: Kevin "Bull" Jones. New coach: Open
Northside (Columbus) - Former coach: Dave Nurnberg. New coach: Andrew Oropeza
Northside (Warner Robins) - Former coach: Kevin Kinsler. New coach: Open
Savannah - Former coach: Rebel Green. New coach: Open
Social Circle - Former coach: Chad Estes. New coach: Open
South Paulding - Former coach: Jason Thompson. New coach: Open
Southeast Whitfield - Former coach: Sean Gray. New coach: Open
Tattnall County - Former coach: Nick Tatum. New coach: Ike Ferrell
Tri-Cites - Former coach: Terrence Banks. New coach: Open
Turner County - Former coach: Nick Hayes. New coach: Open
Union Grove - Former coach: Chad Frazier. New coach: Open
Walker - Former coach: Matt Casper. New coach: Open
West Forsyth - Former coach: Shawn Cahill. New coach: Open
Wheeler County - Former coach: Timothy McArthur. New coach: Thomas Smith
Whitewater - Former coach: Bryan Holley. New coach: Chad Frazier
Wilkinson County - Former coach: Keldrick Burke. New coach: Open
Windsor Forest - Former coach: Isaac Ferrell. New coach: Open
Worth County - Former coach: Frankie Carroll. New coach: Phillip Ironside
About the Author
