The Georgia high school football coaching carousel has swung around 97 times this off-season – four short of a state record.
Recent hires and openings at Kell, West Forsyth, North Springs, Holy Innocents' and Sonoraville have added to the totals.
The 97 openings this off-season trails only the 101 from 2008, according to Loren Maxwell of the Georgia High School Football Historians Association. There were only 79 coaching changes last year.
But, the turnover rate of 23.1 percent (likely still growing) is only a little above the 22.6 percent historical average among GHSA schools since 1948, according to Maxwell. The 1970s – with a 25.1 percent turnover rate – was the most turbulent decade for coaching changes.
Here are some of the more recent coaching changes.
Kell hires Walton’s Sloan to replace Cook
Kell, a semifinalist in Class AAAAA last season, has filled perhaps the last big-name job opening in this football off-season.The Longhorns of Marietta have hired Walton assistant Brett Sloan to replace Derek Cook, who resigned to pursue administrative opportunities. Kell has averaged 10.7 wins since 2010 and made the state semifinals in 2013 and 2016. Sloan was the assistant offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Walton for the past two seasons. Sloan has been an assistant at Byrnes and Chapman high schools in his native South Carolina.
West Forsyth hires Lanier coordinator Cahill
West Forsyth has hired Lanier offensive coordinator Shawn Cahill to replace Adam Clack, who was hired as Milton’s head coach. Cahill has been on Lanier’s staff since 2011. Lanier won region titles in 2014 and 2015. Cahill has been an assistant coach at Duluth and Newton and Santa Margarita in California and Harvey in North Dakota. West Forsyth has finished 7-4 the past two seasons and made the playoffs six of the past seven.
North Springs’ Parker succeeds Devine
North Springs promoted offensive coordinator Scott Parker to replace Dan Devine, who resigned to become athletics director at Alpharetta. In one season under Devine, North Springs finished 6-5 and had its first winning season and playoff appearance since 1998.
Holy Innocents’ seeks replacement for Livezey
Ryan Livezey, who established the Holy Innocents’ football program in 2003, has stepped down. Livezey’s record at HI was 67-56. Livezey will join Mount Pisgah Christian’s staff as an assistant next season.
Kremer steps down at Sonoraville
Sonoraville coach Jim Kremer has resigned after leading the Phoenix to its only three playoff appearances. Sonoraville has finished 6-5, 8-4 and 8-4 under Kremer, whose overall record in Georgia is 49-29. That includes a 10-2 finish at Adairsville in 2011. Kremer has been a coach for 31 years.
Open (12)
Columbia: David Edwards
Forest Park: Dale Myers
Holy Innocents’: Ryan Livezey
Jenkins: Tim Adams
Lithonia: Marcus Jelks
Osborne: Troy Jones
Randolph-Clay: Daniel McFather
Riverside Military: Kelly Davis
Sonoraville: Jim Kremer
Strong Rock Christian: Tommy Webb
Taylor County: Mark Wilson
Turner County: Ben Simmons
Hired (85)
Appling County hired Jon Lindsey to replace J.T. Pollock
Atkinson County hired Carl McGowan to replace David Parker
Baconton Charter hired Randy Grace to replace Johnny Hayes
Baldwin hired Jesse Hicks to replace Lee Hannah
Bleckley County hired Von Lassiter to replace Tracy White
Bradwell Institute hired Ross Couch to replace Greg Hill
Brunswick hired Sean Pender to replace Larry Harold
Bryan County hired Mark Wilson to replace Allen Cartwright
Buford hired John Ford to replace Jess Simpson
Calvary Day hired Mark Stroud to replace Rick Tomberlin
Camden County hired Bob Sphire to replace Welton Coffey
Campbell hired Kyle Adkins to replace Ryan Brady
Carver (Columbus) hired Calvin Arnold to replace Dremail King
Cedartown hired Doyle Kelley to replace Scott Hendrix
Centennial hired Michael Perry to replace Lenny Gregory
Central (Carrollton) hired Darius Smiley to replace Larry Kesler
Central (Macon) hired Larry Harold to replace Jesse Hicks
Claxton hired Tony Welch to replace Rodrick Williams
Coahulla Creek hired Caleb Bagley to replace Chad Barger
Collins Hill hired Lenny Gregory to replace Kevin Reach
Creekside hired Artutro Meza to replace Will Rogers
Dutchtown hired Clifford Fedd to replace Mark Myers
Early County hired Joel Harvin to replace Trey Woolf
East Coweta hired John Small to replace Steve Pardue
East Jackson hired Scott Wilkins to replace Christian Hunnicutt
East Paulding hired Billy Shackelford to replace Jon Lindsey
Fitzgerald hired Tucker Pruitt to replace Jason Strickland
Flowery Branch hired Ben Hall to replace Chris Griffin
Gilmer hired Casey Wingard to replace Casey Wingard
Gordon Central hired Cory Nix to replace David Humphreys
Grayson hired Christian Hunnicutt to replace Jeff Herron
Haralson County hired Scott Peavey to replace Frank Vohun
Hart County hired Rance Gillespie to replace William Devane
Hebron Christian hired Jeff Saturday to replace Kevin Shaffer
Houston County hired Ryan Crawford to replace Von Lassiter
Jeff Davis hired Lance Helton to replace Ed Lovvorn
Jefferson hired Gene Cathcart to replace Ben Hall
Johns Creek hired Matt Helmerich to replace Matt Kemper
Kell hired Brett Sloan to replace Derek Cook
Lamar County hired John Flath to replace Bryan Love
Lithia Springs hired Kevin Hill to replace Jason Dukes
Long County hired J.T. Pollock to replace Eric McNair
Luella hired Jason Jackson to replace Nick Vasilchek
M.L. King hired Deante Lamar to replace Nicolas Kashama
McIntosh County Academy hired Terel Toomer to replace Robby Robinson
Milton hired Adam Clack to replace Howie DeCristofaro
Mitchell County hired Deshon Brock to replace Larry Cornelius
Monroe Area hired Kevin Reach to replace Joey Sulkowski
Mount Zion (Carroll) hired Brad Gordon to replace Keith Holloway
Newnan hired Chip Walker to replace Mike McDonald
North Gwinnett hired Bill Stewart to replace Bob Sphire
North Oconee hired Tyler Aurandt to replace Terry Tuley
North Springs hired Scott Harper to replace Dan Devine
Northeast hired Ashley Harden to replace Bruce Mullen
Northgate hired Kelsey Dalrymple to replace Tommy Walburn
Northview hired James Thomson to replace Chad Davenport
Pacelli hired Mark LeGree to replace Buster Connally
Peachtree Ridge hired Reggie Stancil to replace Mark Fleetwood
Perry hired Kevin Smith to replace Carl Dixon
Pierce County hired Jason Strickland to replace Sean Pender
Pope hired Tab Griffin to replace Kyle Adkins
Providence Christian hired Parker Conley to replace Ken Robinson
Roswell hired Matt Kemper to replace John Ford
Sandy Creek hired Brett Garvin to replace Chip Walker
Savannah hired David Roberson to replace Tony Welch
Shaw hired Al Pellegrino to replace Chuck Stamey
South Cobb hired Terry Jones to replace Sherrod Rainge
South Gwinnett hired Steve Davenport to replace John Small
Southwest DeKalb hired Damien Wimes to replace Fletcher Salter
Sprayberry hired Brett Vavra to replace Billy Shackelford
Statesboro hired Jeff Kaiser to replace Steve Pennington
Stone Mountain hired James Collier to replace Utavius Ingram
Swainsboro hired Scott Roberts to replace Mark Stroud
Tattnall County hired Nick Tatum to replace Jeff Kaiser
Therrell hired Greg Sullivan to replace Dominic Callaway
Twiggs County hired Zackery Harris to replace Ashley Harden
Union Grove hired Chad Frazier to replace Craig Melton
Villa Rica hired Rico Zackery to replace Chad Frazier
Washington-Wilkes hired Chad Alligood to replace Jacob Kelley
Wayne County hired Ken Cribb to replace Derek Chastain
West Forsyth hired Shawn Cahill to replace Adam Clack
West Laurens hired Kagan McClain to replace Stacy Nobles
White County hired Tim Cokely to replace Bill Ballard
Woodland (Stockbridge) hired Bryan Love to replace Steve Davenport
Worth County hired Ben Simmons to replace Jason Tone
