The end of the GHSA football regular season means the head coaching carousel is in motion.
Several nationally-known schools have made coaching changes since the new year, and more are expected to make moves in the coming weeks.
Follow below to stay updated on coaching changes through the playoffs and into the offseason.
Full list of Georgia high school coach changes
Schools are organized alphabetically within their current GHSA classifications.
Class 6A
- Alpharetta
- Former coach: Brian Landis (2-8)
- Replacement: TBA
- Camden County
- Former coach: Travis Roland (13-8), Jon Lindsey (Note: Lindsey stepped down because of “unforeseen” and personal reasons on Dec. 30)
- Replacement: TBA
- Chapel Hill
- Former coach: Brad Stephens (15-36)
- Replacement: TBA
- Discovery
- Former coach: Roy Groshek (1-28)
- Replacement: Andre Clark
- Grayson
- Former coach: Santavious Bryant (37-5)
- Replacement: TBA
- Heritage
- Former coach: Caleb Shaw (1-9)
- Replacement: Quincy Carter
- Mountain View
- Former coach: John Poitevint (17-46)
- Replacement: Todd Welborn
- Westlake
- Former coach: Morris Mitchell (9-13)
- Replacement: Kevin Whitley
- West Forsyth
- Former coach: Dave Svehla (45-27)
- Replacement: Jacob Nichols
- Wheeler
- Former coach: Bryan Love (26-47)
- Replacement: TBA
Class 5A
- Apalachee
- Former coach: Kevin Saunders (2-8)
- Replacement: Chuck Kenyon (promoted)
- Bradwell Institute
- Former coach: Deshon Brock (8-40)
- Replacement: TBA
- Brunswick
- Former coach: Garrett Grady (36-10)
- Replacement: Byron Slack
- Gainesville
- Former coach: Josh Niblett (45-9)
- Replacement: Santavious Bryant
- Johns Creek
- Former coach: Jim Rowell (1-29)
- Replacement: Jason Tester
- Morrow
- Former coach: Jerome Weaks (29-71)
- Replacement: TBA
- Northgate
- Former coach: Kevin Whitley (10-11)
- Replacement: TBA
- Riverwood
- Former coach: Shawn Cahill (5-25)
- Replacement: Josh Coffey
- South Paulding
- Former Coach: Maurice Allen (10-21)
- Replacement: TBA
- Villa Rica
- Former coach: Austin Barron (15-18)
- Replacement: Michael Hilbert
- Winder-Barrow
- Former coach: Robert Paxia (13-18)
- Replacement: Russell DeMasi
Class 4A
- Allatoona
- Former coach: Brad Smith (9-21)
- Replacement: TBA
- Druid Hills
- Former coach: Frederick Greene (20-29-1)
- Replacement: TBA
- McDonough
- Former coach: Earthwind Moreland (4-16)
- Replacement: TBA
- Mundy’s Mill
- Former coach: Craig Coleman (0-10)
- Replacement: Antonio Andrews
- North Springs
- Former coach: Robert Braucht (5-25)
- Replacement: Walter Vaughn
- Northside (Columbus)
- Former coach: Andrew Oropeza (31-30)
- Replacement: Brycen Freeman
- St. Pius X
- Former coach: Chad Garrison (31-25)
- Replacement: Adam Pullen
- Union Grove
- Former coach: Greg Harris (4-16)
- Replacement: TBA
- Wayne County
- Former coach: John Mohring (1-14)
- Replacement: Scott Roberts
- Windsor Forest
- Former coach: C.J. Frazier (4-7)
- Replacement: Cam Turner
Class 3A
- Bainbridge
- Former coach: Jay Walls (1-15)
- Replacement: Jamey DuBose
- Monroe
- Former coach: Lacey Herring (20-31)
- Replacement: TBA
- Ridgeland
- Former coach: Craig Pritchett (3-37)
- Replacement: Shane Cauthorn
- Riverdale
- Former coach: David “Deuce” Roberson (3-27)
- Replacement: Marcus McKinney
- Southeast Bulloch
- Former coach: Jared Zito (31-24)
- Replacement: Jason Anthony (interim)
Class 2A
- Cook
- Former coach: Byron Slack (28-20)
- Replacement: TBA
- Hardaway
- Former coach: Will Whilden (1-9)
- Replacement: Reginald Wedner
- Hart County
- Former coach: Cory Dickerson (17-25)
- Replacement: TBA
- North Cobb Christian
- Former coach: Matt Jones (37-22)
- Replacement: PJ Hughes
- Salem
- Former coach: Michael Johnson (5-15)
- Replacement: Frederick Greene
- Westside-Macon
- Former coach: Sheddrick Risper (119-71)
- Replacement: TBA
Class A Division I
- Banks County
- Former coach: Todd Winter (2-9)
- Replacement: Mark Hollars
- Central-Macon
- Former coach: Jarrett Laws (1-29)
- Replacement: Jamoski Ward
- Fannin County
- Former coach: Chad Cheatham (Retiring, 59-32)
- Replacement: TBA
- Swainsboro
- Former coach: Scott Roberts (92-43)
- Replacement: TBA
- Temple
- Former coach: Cory Nix (23-22)
- Replacement: TBA
- Vidalia
- Former coach: Rodney Garvin (8-23)
- Replacement: TBA
- Walker School
- Former coach: T.J. Anderson (10-21)
- Replacement: TBA
- Washington County
- Former coach: Robert Edwards (20-24)
- Replacement: TBA
Class A Division II
- Chattahoochee County
- Former coach: Michael Nash (died midseason)
- Replacement: Caleb McFather
- Clinch County
- Former coach: Jim Dickerson (176-47-1)
- Replacement: Rance Morgan
- Gordon Central
- Former coach: Marcus Gowan (7-4)
- Replacement: Billy Blizzard
- Greene County
- Former coach: Darius Robinson (2-9, arrested after allegedly choking player, putting another in a headlock)
- Replacement: TBA
- Irwin County
- Former coach: Larry Harold (1-9)
- Replacement: Beau Johnson
- Lanier County
- Former coach: David Dean (3-18)
- Replacement: Marcus Gowan
- Mitchell County
- Former coach: Dondrial Pinkins (27-26, 49-39 over two stints)
- Replacement: TBA
- Turner County
- Former coach: Demario Barber (3-16)
- Replacement: Demario Barber (Reinstated)
- Warren County
- Former coach: Steve Simpson (35-33)
- Replacement: TBA
- Wilkinson County
- Former coach: Jamoski Ward (10-12)
- Replacement: TBA
The latest news on coaching changes
Gordon Central might have hired the best-named head coach of the 2026 cycle.
The school has hired defensive coordinator Billy Blizzard as its next head coach, according to the Gordon Gazette.
Blizzard has been Gordon Central's defensive coordinator for the last four seasons. He was part of a massive turnaround, as the Warriors broke three consecutive 0-10 seasons with a 4-7 record and trip to the playoffs in 2024.
Last season, Gordon Central made the playoffs again and finished 7-4, the program's best season since 2012.
Blizzard is a first-time head coach, but he has plenty of coaching experience. He served as defensive coordinator at East Paulding and Sprayberry before taking the job at Gordon Central.
Northside-Columbus announced it has hired longtime defensive coordinator Brycen Freeman as its new head coach.
Freeman has led Northside's defense for the last seven years and coached for the team for the last decade. He is also in his 19th year in the Muscogee County School District, according to the school release.
Freeman is a first-time head coach taking over a program that has steadily declined the last three seasons. The Patriots went 10-2 and won a region championship in 2022 before going 6-5, 5-5 and 2-8 the next three seasons.
Clinch County announced that it hired Rance Morgan, who was a multi-sport athlete for the school in the early 2000s, to lead the football program after the retirement of Jim Dickerson.
Johns Creek has hired former Flowery Branch coach Jason Tester as its next head coach, the school announced Wednesday.
Tester's only head coaching experience came leading Flowery Branch from 2022 to 2024. The Falcons were 12-20 under Tester and never advanced past the first round of the playoffs.
Tester has worked for several well-known schools as an assistant coach. He has served as an assistant for Grayson and St. Pius X and was defensive coordinator for Brookwood and Eastside.
Johns Creek won just one game in three seasons under former coach Jim Rowell. The Gladiators have finished 0-10 the last two seasons, competing in a region with Class 5A powerhouses Gainesville, Roswell and Milton.
Winder-Barrow has its next head coach. The school has hired former Savannah Christian offensive coordinator Russell DeMasi.
The Barrow Board of Education approved DeMasi's hire on Tuesday, according to the school's release.
DeMasi has coaching experience at both the high school and college level. His career began with coaching quarterbacks and running backs and coordinating special teams at Shorter University.
DeMasi held several titles — including co-offensive coordinator and interim head coach — at Savannah State University before taking the offensive coordinator job at Calvary Day. DeMasi was the associate head coach, offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Wayne State University before becoming Savannah Christian's offensive coordinator.
Savannah Christian averaged 29.9 points per game last season under DeMasi's leadership. The Raiders scored 32 points in a narrow loss to Class 4A power Blessed Trinity and scored 45 points on then-No. 4-ranked Swainsboro.
DeMasi is tasked with correcting a Winder-Barrow program that hasn't had a winning season since 2017. The Bulldogs went a combined 13-18 under former coach Robert Paxia and never advanced beyond the first round.
Irwin County is expected to hire Coffee assistant coach Beau Johnson to lead its program.
Johnson is a former head coach of Blountstown in Florida and helped coach Coffee's 2023 state championship team.
Monroe football coach Lacey Herring announced his formal resignation via social media on Tuesday.
"I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to work with young people who consistently demonstrated resilience, commitment, and pride in representing their school and community," Herring wrote in his announcement.
Herring led Monroe to 20-31 combined record across five seasons. The 2025 campaign was Herring's third three-win season.
The Tornadoes made the playoffs twice under Herring but failed to advance past the first round. Monroe has not won a playoff game since 2012.
Former Wayne County coach John Mohring has found his home for 2026.
Mohring will take over as defensive coordinator for Parkview, the school announced via social media on Monday.
Mohring led Wayne County the last two seasons and coached Savannah Country Day for three seasons before that. He had an all-time record of 17-30 in five seasons.
Gainesville is in the market for a new head coach after the infamous Josh Niblett announced his resignation.
Niblett, a seven-time Alabama state champion, spent the last four seasons at Gainesville. He’s expected to join a Pro Football Hall of Famer’s coaching staff at the college level.
Clinch County's Jim Dickerson has retired for the second time. This time, he told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, he believes it will be for good.
Dickerson led Clinch County for 17 seasons between his two stints as head coach.
About the Author
