Football coaching hires: Norcross grads nab Providence, West Laurens jobs

Also interesting are the recent departures of coaches that won 10 games last season – Tim Adams at Jenkins, Mark Wilson at Taylor County and Robby Robinson at McIntosh County Academy.

Here is a look at recent football hires around the state and a list of all reported off-season changes. There have been 91 head-coaching changes.

Providence Christian hires 24-year-old Conley

Parker Conley, a tight end on Florida State’s 2013 national-championship team, is the new head football coach at Providence Christian in Lilburn. At 24, Conley is believed to be the youngest head coach in Georgia.

‘’He has an incredible understanding of the game for a coach his age, he’s super competitive, and he engages young men in a way that makes them want to play for him,’’ Providence athletics director Brad Williams said. “I believe Parker can build us a state championship program.’’

Parker is a 2010 Norcross graduate. His grandfather, Bill Conley, was the long-time athletics director at Lovett and football coach of Lovett’s 1970 state-championship team.

Conley was the program’s JV coach last season. Conley replaces Ken Robinson, who started Providence’s program in 2011. Providence has won only one game in three full varsity seasons.

West Laurens promotes McClain

West Laurens has promoted defensive coordinator Kagan McClain to replace Stacy Nobles, who left to become an assistant athletics director and assistant coach at Bleckley County under Von Lassiter. McClain has been at West Laurens since 2010 and previously assisted at Americus-Sumter. West Laurens has made playoff appearances each of the past three seasons, the program's best run since 1994-96. For more on McClain's hiring, see the Macon Telegraph.

Northgate promotes offensive coordinator

Northgate has promoted offensive coordinator Kesley Dalrymple to replace Tommy Walburn, who retired. Dalrymple has been with Northgate since 2010. He coached prior at Troup and Crisp County, also under Walburn. All five Coweta County schools that play football hired new coaches. Chip Walker went from Sandy Creek to Newnan. John Small went from South Gwinnett to East Coweta. Trinity Christian of the GISA hired Eagle's Landing Christian assistant Kenny Dallas. Heritage School hired Micah Alba. For more on Dalrymple's hiring, see the Times-Herald of Newnan.

Wilson returns to Bryan County

Bryan County has re-hired Taylor County coach Mark Wilson, Bryan's coach from 2010 to 2014, to replace Allen Cartwright. Wilson had led Taylor County to a 10-2 finish, the school's best record since 1998. Wilson has been a head coach for 25 seasons at Jefferson, Lamar County, White County and Americus-Sumter. Taylor County returns all-state running back Lyn-j Dixon, the most highly recruited player in the Class A public division. Cartwright, who was 8-12 in two seasons at Bryan County, took the defensive-coordinator position at Tattnall County.

Toomer replaces Robinson at MCA

McIntosh County Academy, the 2016 Class A public-school runner-up, has promoted defensive coordinator Terel Toomer to replace Robby Robinson, who was forced out amid charges of hazing.  Robinson, who inherited an 0-10 team in 2015 and finished 10-3 two seasons later, was indicted on two misdemeanors and a felony for allegedly allowing football players to tackle a defenseless player in practice. Toomer also has been an assistant at Gordon Central and Washington-Wilkes. His defense at McIntosh County Academy allowed just 12.5 points per game last season.

Adams leaves Jenkins after first region title

Tim Adams, who led Jenkins to its first region title in the program’s 60-year history, has resigned and will join Effingham County’s staff as defensive coordinator. Adams was 63-70-1 in 13 seasons at Jenkins, which surged to 10-2 in 2016 and won Region 3-AAA. Adams and Jenkins had toiled for many years in the highest classification but was 15-2 in region play since 2014, when Savannah schools began playing in their proper classification.

Hired:

Appling County hired Jon Lindsey to replace J.T. Pollock

Atkinson County hired Carl McGowan to replace David Parker

Baconton Charter hired Randy Grace to replace Johnny Hayes

Baldwin hired Jesse Hicks to replace Lee Hannah

Bleckley County hired Von Lassiter to replace Tracy White

Bradwell Institute hired Ross Couch to replace Greg Hill

Brunswick hired Sean Pender to replace Larry Harold

Bryan County hired Mark Wilson to replace Allen Cartwright

Buford hired John Ford to replace Jess Simpson

Calvary Day hired Mark Stroud to replace Rick Tomberlin

Camden County hired Bob Sphire to replace Welton Coffey

Campbell hired Kyle Adkins to replace Ryan Brady

Carver (Columbus) hired Calvin Arnold to replace Dremail King

Cedartown hired Doyle Kelley to replace Scott Hendrix

Centennial hired Michael Perry to replace Lenny Gregory

Central (Carrollton) hired Darius Smiley to replace Larry Kesler

Claxton hired Tony Welch to replace Rodrick Williams

Coahulla Creek hired Caleb Bagley to replace Chad Barger

Collins Hill hired Lenny Gregory to replace Kevin Reach

Creekside hired Artutro Meza to replace Will Rogers

Dutchtown hired Clifford Fedd to replace Mark Myers

East Coweta hired John Small to replace Steve Pardue

East Jackson hired Scott Wilkins to replace Christian Hunnicutt

East Paulding hired Billy Shackelford to replace Jon Lindsey

Fitzgerald hired Tucker Pruitt to replace Jason Strickland

Flowery Branch hired Ben Hall to replace Chris Griffin

Gilmer hired Casey Wingard to replace Casey Wingard

Gordon Central hired Cory Nix to replace David Humphreys

Grayson hired Christian Hunnicutt to replace Jeff Herron

Haralson County hired Scott Peavey to replace Frank Vohun

Hart County hired Rance Gillespie to replace William Devane

Hebron Christian hired Jeff Saturday to replace Kevin Shaffer

Houston County hired Ryan Crawford to replace Von Lassiter

Jeff Davis hired Lance Helton to replace Ed Lovvorn

Jefferson hired Gene Cathcart to replace Ben Hall

Johns Creek hired Matt Helmerich to replace Matt Kemper

Lamar County hired John Flath to replace Bryan Love

Lithia Springs hired Kevin Hill to replace Jason Dukes

Long County hired J.T. Pollock to replace Eric McNair

Luella hired Jason Jackson to replace Nick Vasilchek

M.L. King hired Deante Lamar to replace Nicolas Kashama

McIntosh County Academy hired Terel Toomer to replace Robby Robinson

Milton hired Adam Clack to replace Howie DeCristofaro

Mitchell County hired Deshon Brock to replace Larry Cornelius

Monroe Area hired Kevin Reach to replace Joey Sulkowski

Mount Zion (Carroll) hired Brad Gordon to replace Keith Holloway

Newnan hired Chip Walker to replace Mike McDonald

North Gwinnett hired Bill Stewart to replace Bob Sphire

North Oconee hired Tyler Aurandt to replace Terry Tuley

Northeast hired Ashley Harden to replace Bruce Mullen

Northgate hired Kelsey Dalrymple to replace Tommy Walburn

Northview hired James Thomson to replace Chad Davenport

Pacelli hired Mark LeGree to replace Buster Connally

Peachtree Ridge hired Reggie Stancil to replace Mark Fleetwood

Perry hired Kevin Smith to replace Carl Dixon

Pierce County hired Jason Strickland to replace Sean Pender

Pope hired Tab Griffin to replace Kyle Adkins

Providence Christian hired Parker Conley to replace Ken Robinson

Roswell hired Matt Kemper to replace John Ford

Sandy Creek hired Brett Garvin to replace Chip Walker

Savannah hired David Roberson to replace Tony Welch

Shaw hired Al Pellegrino to replace Chuck Stamey

South Cobb hired Terry Jones to replace Sherrod Rainge

South Gwinnett hired Steve Davenport to replace John Small

Southwest DeKalb hired Damien Wimes to replace Fletcher Salter

Sprayberry hired Brett Vavra to replace Billy Shackelford

Statesboro hired Jeff Kaiser to replace Steve Pennington

Stone Mountain hired James Collier to replace Utavius Ingram

Swainsboro hired Scott Roberts to replace Mark Stroud

Tattnall County hired Nick Tatum to replace Jeff Kaiser

Therrell hired Greg Sullivan to replace Dominic Callaway

Union Grove hired Chad Frazier to replace Craig Melton

Villa Rica hired Rico Zackery to replace Chad Frazier

Washington-Wilkes hired Chad Alligood to replace Jacob Kelley

Wayne County hired Ken Cribb to replace Derek Chastain

West Laurens hired Kagan McClain to replace Stacy Nobles

White County hired Tim Cokely to replace Bill Ballard

Woodland (Stockbridge) hired Bryan Love to replace Steve Davenport

Still open:

Central (Macon): Jesse Hicks

Early County: Trey Woolf

Forest Park: Dale Myers

Jenkins: Tim Adams

Kell: Derek Cook

Lithonia: Marcus Jelks

Osborne: Troy Jones

Randolph-Clay: Daniel McFather

Strong Rock Christian: Tommy Webb

Taylor County: Mark Wilson

Twiggs County: Ashley Harden

West Forsyth: Adam Clack

Worth County: Jason Tone