Today’s interviewee is Morgan County coach Clint Jenkins, whose team plays Greene County in a battle of unbeaten top-10 teams Friday night in Madison. In 2023, his fourth at Morgan County, Jenkins guided the Bulldogs to their first 10-win season in 20 years. He previously coached at Dacula, leading the Falcons to two region titles and two Class 6A semifinal appearances in his three seasons.
1. Why did you leave Gwinnett County football for Morgan County? “I loved my time in Gwinnett. We obviously had a great run at Dacula and had some great players. It was fun going up against the best in the state from week to week. I’d actually coached at Morgan County before [as an assistant] and had an affection for the place and the people here. My wife was coaching and teaching at Buford, and my twins, who are juniors now, were going to Buford Middle School, and I was at Dacula. When Morgan County called me about the job, we saw this as a place where we could all be together. It was a great decision. Glad we’re here.”
2. Greene County was the only team to beat you last year. What was the story on that game, and what impresses you about them? “Greene County is a big rivalry game for us here at Morgan County. We felt last year we had some opportunities in the game but just didn’t get it done. They are really big in some spots and super athletic in others. When you’ve got two or three Power 4 guys on a single-A team, that can be tough to deal with. I think that game was a turning point for us. We used that adversity to propel us to our winning streak. They’re a really good team.” [On Greene’s Kevin Wynn and Steve Miller: “Wynn is a big strong kid. You try to double-team him. What makes him special is the way he moves for his size. Miller is a really athletic kid on the perimeter. He really hurt us at quarterback last year extending plays.”
3. Your teams have gone from 4-7 to 10-2 to 3-0. What was the biggest challenge you and your staff have had in turning things around? “The weight room and culture were the two biggest. I was fortunate to bring several coaches from Dacula. That always helps with transition. We’ve got guys that understand what we’re trying to do coming from a program with a lot of success and tradition. Our players have done a good job with accountability and expectations. You never know how quickly you’re going to reap what you sow. It’s been good seeing our kids reap a little success for their efforts because we work them.”
4. What would you say about this year team in terms of strengths and weaknesses? What’s the scouting report? “First and foremost, we want to be tough. And it’s always more about us and our execution than anybody we’re playing. On offense, we run the football and be physical. We feel that sets us up for everything else. We’ve got some guys this year that can really stretch the field. Our quarterback, Davis Strickland, has got some receivers in Jaylen Elder and Ty Tillery who’ve done a great job. But we want to be able to run the football and feel that dictates everything else. On defense, we want to be physical and sound and play with great effort. We’re replacing guys from last year and have some good young players. We have a linebacker corps that started last year as sophomores. They are Brody Jenkins, Drew Ainslee, Christian Monfort and Jordan Gordon. That’s a strength of the team.”
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