Georgia high school football coaching changes: Veteran DeKalb coach out at Redan

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.

Mitchell County has hired former Montgomery County coach Kaream Hess. 

Hess spent the last two seasons at Montgomery County, amassing a 4-16 combined record. Hess is well-known in South Georgia football history as a standout running back who led Tift County to its first region title in 23 years, according to Southeast Georgia Today.

Hess' 2,286 yards and 29 touchdowns were crucial to his eventual induction into the Tift County Hall of Fame in February 2024.

Hess served as offensive coordinator at Lincoln University in Missouri before taking an assistant job at Turner County. The Montgomery County job was his first as a Georgia high school football head coach.

Mitchell County is parting ways with Dondrial Pinkins after five seasons. Pinkins' best season came with a 9-3 mark in 2024, but his overall record with the school was 27-26. 

Pinkins' Eagles made the playoffs in four of his five seasons. Pinkins also previously coached the team from 2009 to 2011, winning a region title in 2010.

Hess will try to revive a proud South Georgia program that won nine region title and three state championships from 1978 to 1992.

Washington coach Lawrence Smith has stepped down as head football coach, he confirmed to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. 

Smith went 2-8 in his first and only season with the program. The Bulldogs scored 60 combined points all season and scored more than 7 points in just one game.

Washington hasn't made it past the first round of the playoffs since 2004. The Bulldogs have two winning seasons in the last 10 years.

Smith coached Crisp County for three seasons before taking the Washington job. He left Crisp County with a 17-17 record with a 1-3 mark in the playoffs. He also won three state championships as an offensive assistant at Cedar Grove from 2012 to 2020.

Smith was an offensive lineman at Tennessee State and played for the Buffalo Bills.

Macon County coach has parted ways with coach Kurt Williams, he confirmed to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Thursday.

Williams was surprised to learn he was being let go after two seasons, the first of which yielded a Region 6-A Division II championship.

"I asked for a reason and wasn't given a reason," Williams said.

Macon County's decision follows a 5-6 finish to 2025. The Bulldogs went 7-5 in 2024 and won a first-round playoff game.

Macon County made the playoffs both years under Williams. The Bulldogs advanced to the second round in 2024 and were eliminated in the first round last season.

"We won a region title our first year and we were in a three-way tie for our region title this year," Williams said. "I'm not really sure of the reason. Our grades are better than they've ever been, so I don't know the reason why they want a change, but they want a change.

"They have the right to do that, so no hard feelings there, but I'm looking forward to seeing where God places me in the future."

Williams returned to Macon County in 2024 after working there as defensive coordinator earlier in his career. Williams coached future UGA and NFL standout linebacker Roquan Smith at Macon County.

Williams has been a Class A head coach since 2018. He led Lanier County for six seasons, leading the Bulldogs to their first winning season in 12 years in his final season with the team.

Macon County has made 13 straight playoff appearances. The Bulldogs have advanced to five quarterfinals in that stretch, including a state championship season in 2016.

Vidalia announced Friday that is has hired Zach Grage as its next football coach. Grage was most recently athletic director at Brooks County but previously was head coach at Lowndes (2022), Thomasville (2016-2021) and Gilmer (2015). 

He was the offensive coordinator for Colquitt County during the 2014 state title year. 

Westside-Macon’s new head coach will be promoted from within. Bibb County announced that defensive coordinator James Harris will take over as the third coach in Westside program history.

Harris’ elevation follows longtime coach Sheddrick Risper’s decision to step down after 16 seasons leading the Seminoles. Risper spent 28 seasons with the program in total, according to WMAZ.

Risper had the most GHSA wins from a Macon coach in the last 70 years.

Westside is coming off a 3-8 season, the worst in program history. The Seminole defense surrendered an average of 32.6 points per game.

Grayson promoted defensive coordinator Gregory Carswell to head coach on Thursday. Carswell has been with the program for the last three seasons, coming over from his assistant role at Gainesville alongside former coach Santavious Bryant. 

Carswell is the first Grayson coach to be promoted from within the program. He'll look to be the fifth out of six Grayson coaches to win a state championship.

FULL STORY HERE.

Temple has found its next head coach in Rome.

The school announced on Monday that former Rome offensive coordinator Steven Humphrey will take over the football program as its ninth head coach. Humphrey has extensive coaching experience but has never been a head coach before. 

Humphrey has previously served as offensive coordinator at Ware County, McEachern and Rome. He also coached in Carroll County — where Temple is located — at Villa Rica.

“Our program will be built on the core values represented in S.A.G.E.: Sacrifice, Attitude, Grit, and Effort,” Humphrey said in the announcement. “These principles will guide everything we do, on and off the field. I believe that a strong football program begins with strong relationships, and I am committed to earning the trust of our players and their families.”

Temple has made the playoffs for four consecutive seasons, the longest streak in the program's 38 years. The Tigers went 9-3 in 2024 before falling back to 5-6 last season, and former coach Cory Nix stepped down on Dec. 5.

Camden County officially announced Tucker Pruitt as its new head coach on Tuesday. 

Pruitt is leaving Appling County after one season at the helm. He led the Pirates to an 8-4 season, a region title and a first-round playoff win over Hart County. 

Pruitt is Camden County’s second hire of the offseason. The school initially hired Jon Lindsey before he stepped down due to ‘unforeseen reasons.’

Camden County competes in a loaded Region 1-6A with South Georgia powerhouses Valdosta, Lowndes, Colquitt County. The Wildcats haven’t won a region title since 2013 despite two 10-win seasons since then.

FULL STORY HERE.