Coaching changes: Lincoln County gets new coach; Commerce gets old one back

Michael Pollock, offensive coordinator the past two seasons at Grayson, is the new head coach at Lincoln County. Pollock was part of Grayson’s 2016 state-championship team.

Michael Pollock, offensive coordinator the past two seasons at Grayson, is the new head coach at Lincoln County. Pollock was part of Grayson’s 2016 state-championship team.

Some of the most interesting news on the coaching-change front comes from Class A, where Lincoln County has a new football coach, and Commerce has an old one because of a change of heart.

Here are a few noteworthy moves in recent weeks:

Lincoln County hires Pollock

Lincoln County has hired Grayson offensive coordinator Michael Pollock to replace Kevin Banks, who resigned after four seasons.

Pollock had been head coach at Cook, Americus-Sumter and Habersham Central. His record is 35-36. He also was offensive coordinator at Valdosta prior to getting the Americus-Sumter job in 2010.

Pollock’s high points including taking Cook to the Class AA semifinals in 2001 and leading Grayson’s offense during its 2016 state-championship season. A low point was being fired at Americus-Sumter over allegations that he kicked a player in the behind during practice.

At Lincoln County, Pollock will inherit a program that was 30-15-1 under Banks but hasn’t won a region title since 2012, when coached by Larry Campbell, who retired in 2013 after 42 seasons and a state-record 477 victories. Banks had been a long-time Campbell assistant.

Commerce’s Brown resigns, returns

Commerce head coach Michael Brown, a 1992 graduate of the school, resigned surprisingly last week, only to rescind the decision three days later after hearing from team supporters disappointed at his move.

"The outpouring of concern and the outpouring of emotions from the community was really a huge factor," Brown told the Athens Banner-Herald. "I just realized that I had made a mistake that wasn't necessarily intentional, but I had really put myself before the bigger picture and that's what's good for Commerce."

Brown, a coach at the school since 1999, sports a 43-17 record in five seasons.

Riverdale hires Jarvis

Corey Jarvis, who led Mays to the Class AAAAA final in 2014, is the new head coach at Riverdale. Jarvis has a 91-38 record in 12 seasons as a head coach with stops at Mays (2013-15), Duluth (2010-12) and M.L. King (2005-009). Jarvis was forced out at Mays by a 5-4 vote of the school board when a school audit could not account for $10,000 in booster-club money. Riverdale was 1-9 last season and has not won a playoff game since 2001.

Here are the reported hires and openings since the 2017 season ended:

ACE Charter: Jason Stephens

Americus-Sumter: Larry Harold

Apalachee: Tony Lotti

Armuchee: Jeremy Green

Banks County: Open

Berkmar: Willie Gary

Berrien: Tim Alligood

Bowdon: Richard Fendley

Brantley County: Geoff Cannon

Bryan County: Abram Scott

Carver (Columbus): Corey Joyner

Central (Macon): Open

Cherokee Bluff: Tommy Jones

Crawford County: Jhon Smith

Creekview: Adam Carter

Dacula: Clint Jenkins

Denmark: Terry Crowder

Dougherty: Damien Gary

East Laurens: Bin Turner

Fannin County: Chad Cheatham

Franklin County: Paul Sutherland

Gainesville: Heath Webb

Grady: Kevin Clark

Greene County: Larry Milligan

Hiram: Pete Fominaya

Johnson (Savannah): Kenderrick Bonner

Jordan: Open

Kendrick: Andre Slappey

Kennesaw Mountain: Caleb Carmean

King's Ridge Christian: Jeff Pickren

KIPP Atlanta Collegiate: Open

LaFayette: Paul Ellis

LaGrange: Chuck Gibbs

Landmark Christian: Joe Scott

Lanier County: Kurt Williams

Lincoln County: Michael Pollock

McIntosh County Academy: Tony Glazer

Metter: Rodney Garvin

Miller Grove: Lee Hannah

Model: Richard Ross

Mountain View: Rob Kellogg

North Atlanta: Open

North Paulding: Jim Bob Bryant

Northgate: Mike McDonald

Northside (Columbus): Dave Nurnberg

Oglethorpe County: Ronnie Harris

Pataula Charter: Open

Putnam County: Shaun Pope

Redan: Open

Ridgeland: Courtney Braswell

Riverdale: Corey Jarvis

Riverwood: Robert Edwards

Rockdale County: Jamie Baldwin

Savannah Christian: Baker Woodward

South Paulding: Jason Thompson

Southeast Bulloch: Barrett Davis

St. Francis: Frank Barden

Stephens County: Wesley Tankersley

Stewart County: Open

Thomas County Central: Ashley Henderson

Thomson: Open

Treutlen: Steve Versprille

Tri-Cities: Innis Claud

Twiggs County: Kelvin Blackshear

Veterans: Milan Turner

Walnut Grove: Robert Andrews

West Hall: Krofton Montgomery

Westover: Olten Downs

Wheeler County: Open

Whitefield Academy: Coleman Joiner

Wilcox County: Ken Cofer

Winder-Barrow: Ed Dudley

Worth County: Open