Coaching update: New hires at Stone Mountain, Thomson, Richmond Hill, Chapel Hill

Stone Mountain has hired Chaka Mason to replace Dante Ferguson. Mason had been the head coach of Stephenson Middle School. Mason was an assistant at Arabia Mountain from 2009 to 2011. He also coached at Stephenson Middle prior to that, from 2004 to 2008, getting the head coaching position in his final season. Stone Mountain was 22-28 in five seasons under Ferguson, peaking at 8-2 in 2011.

Rob Ridings is new head coach at Thomson. Ridings was offensive coordinator under Luther Welsh during Thomson's 2002 state championship season. Ridings was 67-43 in 10 seasons as head coach of Glynn Academy in Brunswick. Wayne Staats of the Augusta Chronicle was the first to report Ridings' hire.

The Chronicle also reported the move of Lakeside-Evans coach Jarrett Troxler to Greenbrier. Both are Columbia County schools. Troxler was 21-22 in four seasons at Lakeside. Greenbrier was 0-10 last season.

Richmond Hill promoted offensive assistant Josh Eads to replace Lyman Guy, who left for Toombs County. Eads also has assisted at Paulding County and Tift County.

Chapel Hill hired New Manchester defensive coordinator Justin DeShon to replace Geoff Pastrick, who was hired at South Cobb's head coach. DeShon also head been the head baseball coach at New Manchester. Rick Winters first reported this story in the Douglas County Sentinel.

Chestatee football coach Stan Luttrell resigned this week to become a defensive assistant and strength-and-conditioning coach at Buford. Luttrell was 46-38 in eight seasons at Chestatee, including a best finish of 9-3 last season.

Thanks to Steve Slay for compiling this list.

Alpharetta - Jacob Nichols (Jason Dukes)

Armuchee - Muhammad Abdellatif (Preston Cash)

Athens Christian - Chris Williams (Steve Brooks)

Bacon County - Ken Cofer (Hildrick Garrison)

Baldwin - Lee Hannah (Dexter Copeland)

Bradwell Institute - Greg Hill (Adam Carter)

Campbell - Open (Harris Rainbow)

Carrollton - Ed Dudley (Rayvan Teague)

Cartersville - Joey King (Frank Barden)

Cass - Bobby Hughes (Rick Casko)

Cedar Shoals - Scott Wilkins (Chris Davis)

Chapel Hill - Justin DeShon (Geoff Pastrick)

Chattahoochee - Vince Strine (Michael Owens)

Chattahoochee County - Josh Kemp (Russell Morgan)

Chattooga - Charles Hammon (Clay Livingstone)

Chestatee - Open (Stan Luttrell)

Clarkston - Terrance Hughey (Gary Wansley)

Coahulla Creek - Chad Barger (Jared Hamlin)

Cook - Jon Lindsey (Ken Cofer)

Cross Keys - Kevin Saunders (David Radford)

Dutchtown - Mark Myers (Kevin Jones)

East Coweta - Steve Pardue (Clint Wade)

Fannin County - Jim Pavao (Greg Chambers)

Forest Park - Reginald Austin (John Diehl)

Glynn Academy - Open (Rob Ridings)

Grady – Earthwind Moreland (Ronnie Millen)

Greenbrier - Jarrett Troxler (Kevin Hunt)

Harris County - Dwight Jones (Tommy Parks)

Heritage (Conyers) - Wendell Early (Mike Parris)

Heritage (Ringgold) - E.K. Slaughter (Tim James)

Irwin County - Buddy Nobles (Jon Lindsey)

Jenkins County - Charlie Waters (Ashley Harden)

Jones County - Open (Dwight Jones)

LaGrange - Dialleo Burks (Donnie Branch)

Lambert - Open (Sid Maxwell)

Lithia Springs - Open (Scott Dean)

Loganville - Mike Parris (Eric Godfree)

Lovejoy - Edgar Carson (Al Hughes)

M.L. King - Open (Cortez Allen)

McIntosh County Academy - Gary Mintier (Keith Gosse)

Miller County - Open (Frank Killingsworth)

Monroe Area - Joey Sulkowski (Matt Fligg)

Mount de Sales - Keith Hatcher (Robert Slocum)

Mount Zion (Jonesboro) - Kevin Jones (Ervin Starr)

North Hall - David Bishop (Bob Christmas)

Oconee County - Travis Noland (Mitch Olson)

Oglethorpe County - Jimbo Hale (Larry Milligan)

Ola - Jared Zito (John Kovzel)

Osborne - Byron McCall (Xarvia Smith)

Parkview - Eric Godfree (Cecil Flowe)

Redan - Roderick Moore (Willie Griffieth)

Richmond Hill - Josh Eads (Lyman Guy)

Rockmart - Bin Turner  (Dan Duff)

Schley County - Mark Daniel (Josh Kemp)

Social Circle - Chad Estes (Ron Sebree)

South Cobb - Geoff Pastrick (Michael Youngblood)

Stephens County - Frank Barden (Travis Noland)

Stone Mountain - Chaka Mason (Dante Ferguson)

Strong Rock Christian - Tommy Webb (Mark Miller)

Thomson - Rob Ridings (Milan Turner)

Toombs County - Lyman Guy (Steve Versprille)

Trinity Christian (Dublin) - Matt Hammett (Sam Barrs)

Twiggs County - Dexter Copeland (Jeb Stewart)

Upson-Lee - Tommy Parks (Tommy Watson)

Walker - Open (John East)

Ware County - Franklin Stephens (Ed Dudley)

Winder-Barrow - Heath Webb (David Wagner)

Woodland (Stockbridge) - Steve Davenport (Scott Schmitt)