New Marietta coach wants to honor history, make his own

We’ve seen this headline before: “Coach at Florida powerhouse leaves for Georgia job.”

And yet, the stories and motivations are always different. The expectations remain the same.

Win.

Marietta hired Cameron Duke to lead the Blue Devils back into contention, with hopes it’ll lead to their second state championship in school history.

The first came in 2019 with a talented roster, several that made it to the NFL. Some of those stars were Arik Gilbert, Harrison Bailey, B.J. Ojulari, Kimani Vidal, Ricky White and Rashad Torrence. After a disappointing start from a No. 1 preseason ranking, the Blue Devils caught fire and won eight straight — including the Class 7A championship game against No. 1-ranked Lowndes, a 17-9 victory.

Marietta is only 20-36 since then, however.

Duke’s resume includes eight straight playoff appearances, two trips to the state championship (2019 and 2020) and an 86-15 record at Edgewater, a Florida a school that was 0-10 the year before he took the job.

“Those guys know I love them,” Duke said. “I will always love Edgewater in that community and that school, and my former players, they are special to me. They will always be family. Again, it had to take something really special for myself and our family to move.”

For Duke and his family, Marietta is that special place.

He says he was heavily influenced growing up by his high school coach, Bud O’Hara, who has 254 wins in his career. He even hired coach O’Hara to help him coach during his time at Lakeland High. Now, he wants to pass down the same life lessons he learned with coach O’Hara at Marietta.

“Family is about real relationships with one another,” Duke said of those lessons. “Through the good and through the bad, and at the end of the day, I really want our guys to know how much we love them. Not just as a football player, but as a man. That's what family is. Family is built on love, and we're hoping to do that here.”

In the weight room, on the walls, in big, bold, blue letters, stretching from one end to the other, are the words “Be Somebody” and “Blue Devils Family.” They can be seen above the mirrors that run along the gym’s walls. Before taking the job, Duke says he could feel the family atmosphere.

“I noticed a community and administration that was hoping to build up a football program and a culture ... that makes the community proud and makes our alumni proud,” Duke said.

When Duke first arrived, on Monday, Feb. 3, he got a chance to see his new team for the first time. He was impressed — not just by what he saw that day, but by the work they had already been doing before he got there.

Duke is deeply appreciative of the opportunity to lead the Blue Devils. Former Florida coaches, often attracted to Georgia’s higher salaries, have been some of Georgia’s best coaches in recent decades. Toombs County’s Buddy Martin and Coffee’s Mike Coe are former Florida coaches who have won Georgia state titles the past two seasons. Many other former Florida coaches, such as Robby Pruitt and Randy McPherson, are some of Georgia’s winningest coaches of this decade.

“We know Georgia takes football extremely seriously, and that's a great thing as a competitor,” Duke said. “I'm grateful for the opportunity to coach in Georgia.”

Duke brought several coaches with him, and together, along with their families, they completed the nearly 500-mile move. He credits the Marietta administration for helping make it possible.

He also chose to keep some key members of the previous staff, including former Blue Devil players Derrick Tinsley and Labrone Mitchell.

Duke inherits a young team, but after spring practice, he’s energized by what he’s seen so far. He had 120 players on the field during the spring, and he was particularly impressed by the team’s physicality during the intra-squad spring game.

“We were able to establish that culture and identity this spring in the 10 practices that we had,” Duke said. “We laid the foundation, and now this summer’s about building on it.”

There won’t be a depth chart until fall camp. Duke says every player will have to earn his spot.

“Summer is going to be a great opportunity for us to compete and get better and develop,” Duke said. “I told everyone, ‘You get a fresh start,’ but we got a lot of good returning players. I think our leadership's going to be really good.”

Fans should expect to see a team that plays a physical brand of football, a team playing for the M on their helmets.

This year, walking the halls and at the games, you’ll hear and see “Ring the Bell.”

At Northcutt Stadium, there is a tradition of ringing “The Great Victory Bell” after a win. Duke and his players want to bring the bell to life again this year by honoring the traditions and standards that came before them.

Duke knows that the “Be Somebody” mantra goes back to Marietta coach Ben Wilkins, originally from the 1960s, and it was carried on by his mentee, long-time Marietta coach and former Blue Devils star player Friday Richards, for decades.

“That's always going to be part of who we are, understanding that we want you to be somebody,” Duke said. “Not just as a football player, but as a man. We want you to be great and everything you do. That's Colossians 3:23. We believe in that. We want you to go be great in everything that you do.”