Georgia high school football coaching changes: Cook hires former Mizzou star

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.

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.