Stockbridge, Wayne County among 14 Class 4A schools with new head coaches

Number of hires: 14

Best hire: Kendrick Callier, Stockbridge

Hardest to replace: Jaybo Shaw, Wayne County

Best job: Starr’s Mill

Toughest job: Midtown

Most interesting: A pair of surging programs, Stockbridge and Wayne County, were surprisingly in the market for new coaches this offseason. Stockbridge was the Class 4A runner-up under Thomas Clark, who in 2021 inherited a team that had finished 3-7. Stockbridge did well to snag Cedar Grove offensive coordinator Kendrick Callier, who has been a part of three state championship teams. Wayne County was 0-9 the season before hiring Shaw, then went 10-3 and 7-3 the past two seasons under the coach who also won big at Rabun County. Shaw left for Greenville, a Class 5A school in South Carolina that has won 10 games each of the past four full seasons. Wayne County hired John Mohring, formerly of Savannah Country Day.

Region 1

*Wayne County hired Savannah Country Day coach John Mohring to replace Jaybo Shaw, who became head coach at Greenville in South Carolina. Mohring’s SCD teams were 16-16 in three seasons, the final two in Class 3A with Class A enrollment. Mohring is a former Georgia Southern linebacker who played in the CFL and Arena League. He’s worked on staffs at Bishop Verot in Florida (head coach for one season), Valdosta State, Arkansas State and Tusculum. Wayne County went from 0-9 to 10-3 in Shaw’s first season (2022) and was 7-4 last year.

Region 2

*McDonough hired Mundy's Mill coach Earthwind Moreland to replace Rodney Cofield, who became head coach at Heritage of Conyers. Moreland led Mundy’s Mill to 7-4 and 8-3 finishes, the school’s best two-year run since 2013-14. Moreland was coach at alma mater Grady (now known as Midtown) in 2014-17 and won a 2016 region title. Moreland is a former NFL cornerback with the Jets, Browns and Patriots. McDonough was 15-15 under Cofield.

*Ola hired Hawthorne (Fla.) defensive coordinator and athletic director Dustin Adkins to replace Tom Causey, who became head coach at Miller County. With Adkins running the defense, Hawthorne won Class 1R championships in 2022 and 2023. He coached previously at Oak Ridge High in Orlando. Adkins played football at Dartmouth. Ola was 7-4 and 6-4 under Causey.

*Stockbridge hired Cedar Grove offensive coordinator Kendrick Callier to replace Thomas Clark, who became head coach at Jackson. Callier was on Cedar Grove’s staff for five seasons, the past three as offensive coordinator. Cedar Grove won state titles in 2019, 2021 and 2023. Callier, known as Coach Bama, also had been the Saints' boys basketball coach for two seasons. He's also been on staffs at Riverdale and Jackson of Atlanta. Stockbridge was the 2023 Class 4A runner-up to Perry.

*Union Grove promoted defensive line coach Greg Harris to replace Casey Smith, who is now Callaway’s defensive coordinator. Harris joined Union Grove’s staff in 2017. He’s worked at Ayden Griffin, South Central and Farmville Central in North Carolina and alma mater Tupelo in Mississippi. Union Grove was 17-25 in Smith’s four seasons and 1-9 in 2023.

Region 3

*Mundy's Mill hired Paulding County coach Sumo Robinson to replace Earthwind Moreland, who became head coach at McDonough. Robinson’s Paulding County team was 2-8. His record at South Paulding was 15-6 in two seasons. Robinson has been on staffs at Mundy’s Mill, Hughes, Douglas County and alma mater Creekside. Mundy’s Mill was 7-4 and 8-3 in Moreland’s two seasons, an eight-win improvement over the previous two years.

*Starr's Mill promoted defensive backs coach David Cooper to replace Chad Phillips, who retired. Cooper has been on the Starr’s Mill staff since 2015. He coached at Sandy Creek for 10 seasons and was part of three state-championship teams. Cooper played baseball at North Georgia and has coached that sport in high school. Phillips had been on Starr’s Mill’s staff since the Fayette County school opened in 1998 and became head coach in 2010. Phillips’ teams won seven region titles in his 14 seasons as head coach. His 2023 team was 10-4 and reached the Class 4A semifinals.

Region 4

*Mays hired its former defensive coordinator and baseball coach, Reginald Austin, to replace Tony Slaton, who remained at Mays but is not coaching this fall. Austin, an Atlanta native and former NFL cornerback, was on Mays’ staff all but one season from 2009 to 2021, usually as defensive coordinator and head baseball coach. He has been on staffs at Lithia Springs, Central Gwinnett and Forest Park. He took last fall off and would’ve been baseball coach at Carver in Atlanta last spring when Mays hired him. Austin played three seasons with the Bears out of Wake Forest. Mays was 15-10 in Slaton’s two seasons, 7-5 in 2023.

*Midtown hired Salem coach Leroy Hood to replace interim coach Delbert Ellerton, who remains at Midtown as the track coach. Hood has been head coach at Turner County (2017-18), Pebblebrook (2019-22) and Salem (2023) with playoff appearances in five of his seven seasons. Midtown, a region winner in 2016, will return to playing a region schedule this season for the first time since 2019.

Region 5

*Clarkston promoted defensive coordinator Tavis Jackson to replace Jimmy Williams, who is now on Hiram’s staff as defensive backs coach. Clarkston, 1-9 last season, will play a region schedule this year for the first time since 2011.

*Lithonia hired Stockbridge cornerbacks coach Kevin Barnes to replace Kevin Hill, who is taking a season off from coaching. Barnes was at Stockbridge for six seasons. He was on Newton’s staff the previous six. Barnes also was a track-and-field head coach at both schools and won a boys state title in 2016. Barnes played at West Georgia and in arena leagues and spent time in the Air Force becoming a coach. Lithonia was 1-9 in 2024. Former coach Hill’s son, Caleb Hill, was Lithonia’s quarterback as a freshman and transferred to Sandy Creek.

Region 6

*Cambridge hired Walton offensive coordinator Tyler Jones to replace Craig Bennett, who became head coach at Pickens. Jones’ 2023 Walton team went 14-1, reached the Class 7A final and averaged 47.7 points per game. Jones was offensive coordinator at River Ridge for two seasons and helped the Knights win their only region title in history in 2020. He coached at Wheeler before that. Jones is a former Social Circle quarterback who led his alma mater to its only region title in 2005. Bennett started Cambridge’s program in 2012 and finished with four straight winning seasons and a 2022 region title.

Region 7

*Woodland of Cartersville hired LaFayette coach Andy Scott to replace Brandon Haywood, who became Pepperell’s head coach. Scott has been a head coach at LaFayette (2021-23), Kennesaw Mountain (2012-17) and Perry (2005-09). Woodland, 2-8 last season, has not had a winning season since 1999.

Region 8

*East Forsyth promoted defensive coordinator Dustin Canon to replace Brian Allison, who retired. Canon helped start East Forsyth’s program in 2021. He has been on staffs at Effingham County and alma mater Forsyth Central. East Forsyth was 7-4 in 2023, the school’s first winning season.