Atha comes home to Polk County, inherits winning team at Cedartown
Had it been a year earlier, new Cedartown coach Tommy Atha would not have entertained the thought of leaving Calhoun, but life has a way of presenting opportunities. And, when the time was right, Atha jumped at the chance to return to Polk County.
Atha, a graduate of Rockmart, grew up in Polk County. He talked to his wife, Cathy, about it.
“I said, ‘Cathy, before I get out of this thing, I want to get back to where I started,’” Atha said. “I want to get back to my roots.”
Atha was announced as Cedartown’s coach in February, landing one of the state’s top openings. Cedartown was 50-12 in five seasons under the previous coach, Jamie Abrams.
Atha’s return to Polk didn’t seem likely, especially after stepping down as a head coach at Darlington after the 2022 season. In fact, he was out of football for a while, working in real estate.
Atha had coached at Darlington for 30 years. He was an essential part of his mentor Jerry Sharp’s staff that rebuilt the program and won a state championship in 1998. Atha was the head coach there for 21 years. He accumulated a record of 179-66 while winning seven region titles.
Atha wanted to do something different that would leave him more time with his family.
“There was a part of me that thought, ‘You know what, in this life, is there something else that maybe I could be good at and want to do and try?’” Atha said.
Atha had coached each of his four kids, either on the football field or as an assistant basketball coach. So, he made a plan. He would start his new career while still helping with basketball as a volunteer coach.
At 54, Atha shifted gears, earned his real estate license and joined a land auction company — a fast-paced job that surprisingly left him missing football. Atha enjoyed the pace of the job, which always kept him busy, until it didn’t.
“When it wasn’t auction time, I found myself looking at cut-ups and football,” Atha said.
His youngest daughter attended Calhoun High, so Atha was constantly around for Calhoun practices and games. In December of 2024, Calhoun’s offensive coordinator, Adam Holley, became Cherokee’s head coach.
Calhoun head Clay Stephenson asked him a seemingly innocuous question.
“He said, ‘Coach, you ever thought about getting back in it?’” Atha remembers, laughing as he tells the story. “I was like, ‘Are you serious?’ He was like, “Are you serious?””
Atha flourished in his return. Calhoun’s offense averaged nearly 30 points per game last season and rode an 11-game win streak, scoring under 31 points three times, to the Class 3A title — Calhoun’s first championship since 2017.
Atha saw how Stephenson ran his program and was impressed, especially with the tempo at practices.
“There are so many reps,” Atha said. “That’s the biggest thing. A lot less time talking on the field and a lot more time getting reps and then going back and doing the talking during the film sessions.”
Atha takes over a Cedartown program that is just three seasons removed from a Class 4A championship-game appearance. The previous coach, Abrams, was not renewed in part because administration believed he was checking into other jobs, though Abrams denied he had any serious discussions. Abrams is now Bowdon’s defensive coordinator.
Atha, meanwhile, is likely in place for good. He still lives in the same place he’s been for years.
“You will not see me when I’m not in red and black, anywhere,” Atha said.
It’s an added bonus that the program he inherited is in great shape.
“What he (Abrams) did in those five years at Cedartown is remarkable,” Atha said. “Intentionally, I have not come in there and said, ‘We got to change this. We’ve got to change that.’”
Since arriving at Cedartown, Atha has leaned on his assistant head coach and strength-and-conditioning coach, Mike Worthington. Atha says Worthington is the best in the state at what he does. Worthington also trains NFL players, including former Cedartown great Nick Chubb.
Cedartown finished 9-2 last season after losing to Cambridge 51-44 in the first round of the playoffs. This year, the Bulldogs have fewer seniors than last year, but the junior class is expected to see a lot of time on the field, which should be the strength of the program. Atha points to linebacker Chris Johnson and two-way player Jakobe Dorsey (linebacker and running back) as focal points for the team.
Atha plans to bring his state championship offense to Cedartown, but there will still be an element of the Wing T offense that fans have grown accustomed to over the years.
Cedartown kicks off its season against its cross-county rival, and Atha’s alma mater, Rockmart, on Aug. 15. Atha says he may have been removed from the rivalry for a few years, but he knows the city will be pumped.
“It’s a football town,” Atha said. “On Friday night, I promise you, businesses are going to be shut down and people are there to watch the Bulldogs play. It’s one of the greatest rivalries in the state of Georgia.”
Schedule
8/15 Rockmart
8/22 at Berkmar
8/29 Alexander
9/5 Pepperell
9/12 at Allatoona
9/19 at Cass
10/3 Hiram
10/10 Dalton
10/17 at Cartersville
10/24 at Woodland, Cartersville