Luella and Griffin hired football coaches this week, Dunwoody’s 10-year coach stepped down to take a new job, and Schley County’s coach unretired.
Luella hired Crisp County defensive coordinator Will Richardson, who been a head coach at Richland Northeast in Columbia, S.C., for two seasons before joining Crisp in 2021. He was Westlake’s offensive coordinator three seasons before that.
Luella has finished 6-6 the past two seasons, winning playoff games in consecutive years for the first time in history.
Griffin hired Bernard Goodrum, who had been B.E.S.T. Academy’s coach the past three seasons. Goodrum is a Griffin native. “It’s a blessing to be back home,‘’ Goodrum said in a text to the AJC.
Griffin has gone 1-9 the past two seasons.
Dunwoody’s Michael Nash announced on his X account (formerly known as Twitter) that he was stepping away from a program that he has led since 2015, which made him DeKalb County Schools' longest-tenured football coach.
Nash’s teams were 34-66. They made the playoffs each of the past two seasons.
“A man I love and respect told me a long time ago, ‘You can leave while they still ove you or you can hang around until they all hate you,’ “ Nash wrote. “I am extremely proud of where we have come in this program, but it has reached the time for me to step away.”
Nash reportedly took the job at Chattahoochee County, a Class A school, this week.
The DeKalb coach that has been in place the longest is now Lakeside’s Morris Starr, who just finished his sixth season.
Schley County’s Darren Alford, who retired in December, confirmed Tuesday that he has changed his mind about retiring after getting news that he could work part-time as a teacher and remain a coach full-time.
Alford said he never wanted to stop coaching.
“I will coach football in some aspect as long as I am able,” Alford said. “My heart is with the program at Schley. I just got burned out having to teach a full day with all my duties. When the solution of part time came along, it was a no-brainer for me.”
Alford’s nine-year record is 72-34 with two region titles with a 2022 Class A Public runner-up finish in 2022.
Here are the GHSA coaching openings and hirings that have been reported since the end of the 2024 season.
Alpharetta - Jason Kervin (Hired Brian Landis)
Armuchee - Eric Belew
Banneker - Braxton Kelly
Berkmar - Andrico Hines
B.E.S.T. Academy - Bernard Goodrum
Berrien - Ken Eldridge (Hired Jackson Dean)
Brookwood - Philip Jones (Hired Chad Nighbert)
Calvary Day – Mark Stroud (Hired Jason Cameron)
Cedar Grove - Roderick Moore (Hired Rich Freeman)
Cedar Shoals - Leroy Ryals (Hired Rusty Charpia)
Cedartown - Jamie Abrams (Hired Tommy Atha)
Central Gwinnett - Larry Harold (Hired Terrance Banks)
Chattahoochee County - Bruce Figgins (Hired Michael Nash)
Claxton - Greg Hill
Commerce - Mark Hollars (Hired Lenny Gregory)
Crisp County – Lawrence Smith (Hired Justin Newman)
Dalton - Kit Carpenter (Hired Chris Prewett)
Dawson County - Sid Maxwell (Hired Jaybo Shaw)
Dunwoody - Michael Nash
Dutchtown - Niketa Battle
Eagle’s Landing Christian - Tanner Rogers (Hired Justin Roberts)
Elbert County - Shannon Jarvis (Hired Andy Dyer)
Evans - Barrett Davis
Emanuel County Institute - Chris Kearson (Hired Chad Harper)
Etowah - Matt Kemper (Hired Brett Vavra)
Flowery Branch – Jason Tester (Hired Michael Perry)
Gordon Central - Lenny Gregory (Hired Marcus Gowan)
Greene County - Terrance Banks (Hired Darius Robinson)
Griffin - Clifford Fedd (Hired Bernard Goodrum)
Grovetown - Cory Evans
Hardaway - Ryan McKenzie (Hired Will Whilden)
Hebron Christian - Jonathan Gess
Heritage (Ringgold) - E.K. Slaughter (Hired Jeremy New)
Hiram - Peter Fominaya
Hughes - Daniel Williams (Hired Andrico Hines)
Irwin County - Casey Soliday
Islands - Deshawn Printup
Jones County - Mike Chastain (Hired Justin Montgomery)
Josey - Lawrence Pinkney
KIPP Atlanta Collegiate - James Briscoe
Lakeside (Evans) - Steve Hibbitts
Lithia Springs - Corey Jarvis (Hired Ben Arnold)
Loganville - Gene Cathcart/Stephen Smith (Hired Nic Snowden)
Luella - Craig Coleman (Hired Will Richardson)
Marietta - Richard Morgan (Hired Cameron Duke)
Marion County - Billy Law (Hired Jeff Collins)
McNair - Mario Drayton
Meadowcreek - Todd Wofford (Hired Johnny Burdette)
Midtown - Leroy Hood
Mount Paran Christian - Matt Ely
Mount Pisgah Christian - Elijer Martinez (Hired Brad Watkins)
Murray County - Kurt Napier (Hired Jason Allen)
Norcross - Keith Maloof (Hired Corey Richardson)
Northside-Warner Robins - Ben Bailey (Hired Daniel Williams)
Northview - Scott Schwarzer (Hired Mario Drayton)
Pace Academy - Nick Bach (Hired Sean Weatherspoon)
Parkview - Joe Sturdivant (Hired Adam Clack)
Pataula Charter - Sam Brown
Pebblebrook - Michael Woolridge
Pelham - Leonard Guyton (Hired Ryan McKenzie)
Prince Avenue Christian - Greg Vandagriff (Hired Jon Richt)
Providence Christian - John Russ (Hired Blake Murphy)
Roswell - Chris Prewett
Savannah - Bud Tolliver
Savannah Country Day - Roc Batten (Hired Joey Blackmore)
South Forsyth - Troy Morris (Hired James Thomson)
Southeast Whitfield - Todd Murray
Sprayberry - Brett Vavra (Hired Peter Fominaya)
Union County - Michael Perry (Hired Rob Stowe)
Veterans - Josh Ingram (Hired Steve DeVoursney)
Washington – Justin Rivers
Wilcox County - Rob Stowe
Westminster – Gerry Romberg (Hired Nelson Stewart)
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