Class 2A rocked by major offseason coaching changes

Number of hires: 12

Best hire: Tucker Pruitt, Appling County

Hardest to replace: Jonathan Gess, Hebron Christian

Best job: Prince Avenue Christian

Toughest job: KIPP Atlanta Collegiate

Most interesting: The two biggest bombshells in the offseason coaching carousel took place in this classification with the departures of Prince Avenue Christian’s Greg Vandagriff and Appling County’s Jordan Mullis, each replaced within a week of announcements they were out. Vandagriff led Prince Avenue to three state titles and a Class 3A-A Private runner-up finish in 2024. In February, Prince Avenue promoted its offensive coordinator, Jon Richt, son of former Georgia coach Mark Richt. Vandagriff took a job at Lakeway Christian near his hometown of Knoxville, Tennessee. In April, Appling County lost an appeal to overturn 10 forfeits assessed by the GHSA for a recruiting violation. Appling hired Fitzgerald’s Tucker Pruitt within days. Mullis, now working at Pell City, Alabama, denies wrongdoing in the GHSA’s undue influence allegation, which involved a player that the GHSA did not declare ineligible until after the season.

Region 1

*Hardaway promoted offensive coordinator Will Whilden to replace Ryan McKenzie, who became Pelham's head coach. Whilden has been on Hardaway’s staff since 2021. He was on staffs at Calvary Christian and Kendrick. Whilden has been in Columbus much of his life as a graduate of Brookstone and Columbus State. Hardaway was 4-6 last season after going 0-10 in 2023.

Region 2

None

Region 3

*Appling County hired Fitzgerald coach Tucker Pruitt to replace Jordan Mullis. Pruitt’s Fitzgerald record was 82-27 with a 2021 Class A championship and five consecutive semifinal appearances. Mullis’ record at Appling County was 42-11, with three region titles and three state semifinal appearances. It was the best four-year run in school history. Mullis is now assistant head coach at Pell City, Alabama.

*Carver of Columbus hired former Georgia All-American and NFL player Jarvis Jones, an alumnus, to replace Pierre Coffey, who left to become Stewart County’s principal. Jones had most recently served as Georgia’s player connection coordinator. Jones was the AJC’s Class 3A Defensive Player of the Year in 2007. Carver won its second state title last season and was 33-8 in Coffey’s three seasons.

*Crisp County hired Carver of Columbus defensive coordinator Justin Newman to replace Lawrence Smith, who became Washington’s coach. Newman’s Carver defenses allowed 10.5 points per game across three seasons as Carver went 33-8 and won the 2024 Class 2A championship. Newman was head coach at Jordan (2016-17) and Spencer (2018), and he has been on staffs at Schley County, Wheeler County, St. Anne-Pacelli and Shaw in his 18 seasons as a coach. Crisp County was 17-17 in Smith’s three seasons, 5-6 in 2024.

Region 4

*Josey hired Johnson of Gainesville offensive coordinator Gene Clemons to replace Lawrence Pinkney. Clemons, a Tampa, Florida, native in his 21st season as a high school coach, was a coordinator at Johnson the past four seasons. He’s been a head coach at Jenkins in Savannah (2020), Westwood (2011-12), and Vanguard (2009-10) in Florida and Randolph-Macon Academy (2006) in Virginia. He’s also worked on staffs at Northeast, Tucker and Lakeside of Atlanta in Georgia. Josey has not had a winning season since 2015 and was 0-10 last season. Former coach Pinkney remains a teacher in the school system and is not coaching this season.

Region 5

*KIPP Atlanta Collegiate hired Lithia Springs coach Corey Jarvis to replace James Brisco, who became Riverdale's co-offensive coordinator. Jarvis has been a head coach for most of the past 20 seasons at M.L. King (2005-09), Duluth (2010-12), Mays (2013-15), Dooly County (2019) and Lithia Springs (2019-24) and holds a 122-86 career record. KIPP was 2-8 last season. The Atlanta school has one winning record in its 13 varsity seasons.

*Washington hired Crisp County coach Lawrence Smith to replace Justen Rivers, who is now Midtown's offensive coordinator. Smith started St. Francis’ program in 2010, then was on Cedar Grove’s staff from 2012 through 2020 as offensive line coach, run game coordinator and offensive coordinator. He joined Crisp County’s staff in 2021 and became head coach in 2022. His Crisp County teams were 15-19. Washington was 13-27 in Rivers' four seasons and 2-8 in 2024.

Region 6

None

Region 7

*Murray County hired Marietta defensive coordinator Jason Allen to replace Kurt Napier. Allen joined Marietta’s staff in 2016 and ran the defense for the 2019 Class 7A championship team. He won two Virginia state titles as a defensive coordinator at Oscar Smith. In between, he was head coach at Potomac Falls, Va., from 2013 to 2015 and went 16-16 at a program that was 7-22 the previous three seasons. Murray County was 4-26 in Napier’s three seasons and 1-9 in 2024. Napier is stepping back from coaching this season and helping with a local middle school team.

*Union County hired Wilcox County coach Rob Stowe to replace Michael Perry, who became Flowery Branch's head coach. Stowe was 50-24 at Wilcox County. Union County, a Class 2A school, was 4-7 last season. Stowe is from Stephens County and has worked on staffs at his alma mater, Rabun County and Gilmer. Union County was 23-22 in Perry’s four seasons.

Region 8

*Hebron Christian hired Trinity Christian coach Kenny Dallas to replace Jonathan Gess, who became head coach at Southside Christian in South Carolina. Dallas was Gess’ associate head coach from 2014 to 2016 while the two were at Eagle’s Landing Christian. ELCA won state titles each of those seasons. From there, Dallas moved on to Trinity Christian and led that school to its first state title in 2021.

*Prince Avenue Christian promoted offensive coordinator Jon Richt to replace Greg Vandagriff, who became head coach Lakeway Christian in Tennessee. Richt is a former Prince Avenue, Clemson and Mars Hill quarterback. He was Prince Avenue’s offensive coordinator the past three seasons and was the University of Miami’s quarterbacks coach for three seasons under his father, Mark Richt, before that. Jon Richt also has served as an offensive assistant with the Buffalo Bills and a quality-control assistant with Georgia for one season each. Vandagriff’s Prince Avenue record was 107-16.

*Stephens County promoted defensive coordinator Thomas Flowers to replace Wesley Tankersley, who took the Fitzgerald job. Flowers ran the Indians’ defenses the past five seasons. He has been on staffs at Veterans, Thomasville, Gilmer, Lumpkin County and alma mater White County, where he played for his father, Tommy Flowers. Stephens County was 47-31 in Tankersley’s seven seasons and 9-4 in 2024.