Georgia high school football coaching changes: Rockmart hires four-time champ

Former Northwestern linebacker Quentin Davie will replace 2025 state champion coach Kenny Dallas at Hebron Christian.

FULL STORY HERE.

Rockmart has hired Richard Fendley Jr. away from Bowdon.

Fendley led the Red Devils to four consecutive state championships from 2022 to 2025 and a 79-26 combined record. 

Bowdon has announced it will promote defensive coordinator Jamie Abrams to succeed Fendley. FULL STORY HERE.

Wheeler announced Travis Roland as its next head football coach Thursday night. 

Roland led his alma mater, Mainland of Florida, to its first state title in 20 years before coaching Camden County for two seasons. FULL STORY HERE.

South Paulding hired former Southeast Bulloch coach Jared Zito on Wednesday. 

Zito led the Yellow Jackets to a 31-24 record across four seasons. He also led the program to its first quarterfinals appearance since 1974.

FULL STORY HERE.

Rome hired its next head football coach Thursday morning. 

Bill Stewart, who led North Gwinnett to its only state championship among other impressive coaching accolades, will led the Wolves into 2026. FULL STORY HERE.

Cook has promoted assistant coach Cornelius "Pig" Brown to be its next head coach. 

Brown replaces former coach Byron Slack, who left for an opening at Brunswick after four seasons leading the Hornets. Cook went 11-3 and won a region championship in 2023 before going 4-7 and 5-6 the last two years.

Brown was a standout safety at Missouri in 2006 and 2007, totaling 110 tackles and three interceptions in his two seasons there. His three-turnover performance against Illinois in the 2007 season opener included a 100-yard pick six and a game-sealing interception. 

Brown also has head coaching experience, as he led the Nebraska Danger of the Indoor Football League before taking the job at Cook. He was inducted into the IFL Hall of Fame in 2018 after finishing his career with 540 tackles, the second most all time.

Brown will lead Cook into a new era, as the school was granted a move down from Class 3A to Class 2A next school year on the basis of the GHSA's isolation rule.

Hebron Christian coach Kenny Dallas has stepped down from his position after one season to become a full-time pastor at a church south of Atlanta.

Dallas led Hebron Christian to its second consecutive state title in his first season. FULL STORY HERE.

Alpharetta announced Daniel Carlisle as its next head coach via social media Tuesday. Carlisle has coached Chattahoochee for the last three seasons, leading the Cougars to a combined 10-20 record.

Carlisle's best season at Chattahoochee came in 2024 when the Cougars went 5-5, their best record since 2017. Carlisle also has three years of head coaching experience at Cooper City in Florida, his alma mater.

Carlisle is renowned for his defensive mind. He coached linebackers at Cooper City and Grayson, and he coordinated defenses at North Forsyth and Discovery.

Carlisle began his career as a student assistant under Bobby Bowden at Florida State. The statement also noted that Carlisle is already an Alpharetta resident.

"Coach Carlisle brings extensive experience in program development, defensive leadership, and community engagement, having coached at high-performing programs across Georgia and Florida," the social media announcement said. "Throughout his career, he has helped build competitive programs while developing student-athletes and fostering cultures centered on accountability, discipline, and academic excellence."

Alpharetta will try to recover from a 2-8 finish to 2025. The Raiders made the playoffs every season from 2016 to 2023 before winning just three games combined in the last two seasons.

Chattahoochee enters 2026 on an eight-year playoff drought. The Cougars have gone 9-45 in region play during that span.

Appling County has tabbed Lowndes quarterbacks coach John David Sellers as its next head coach.

The school announced Sellers, an Appling County alumnus, as its third head coach in three years Monday night. 

FULL STORY HERE.

Redan has parted ways with third-year coach Damien Wimes.

Wimes led the Raiders to an 11-25 combined record across three seasons. Redan made the playoffs all three years, breaking a 15-year postseason drought in Wimes' first season.

Wimes first became a head coach in DeKalb County in 2010 when he took over at Miller Grove. He coached there for six seasons and started at Southwest DeKalb in 2017. Wimes led the Panthers to two region titles and five playoff appearances in six years.

Wimes' three-year stretch at Redan was the program's winningest since 2006-2008.

Redan is searching for its 15th head coach to start its 49th season.