Fitzgerald has a new coach, same expectations

When Tucker Pruitt left Fitzgerald to take the Appling County job, it shocked the high school football landscape. Fitzgerald was now on the clock, needing to find a coach to replace Pruitt – in May.

In less than two weeks, Fitzgerald announced the hiring of Wesley Tankersley from Stephens County.

Tankersley owns a 114-75 career record with four region titles, two apiece at Ridgeland (2016, 2017) and Stephens County (2022, 2023). He had coached at Gilmer and Ridgeland before arriving at Stephens County in 2018.

“It's hard (to leave) anytime you invest a lot of energy and time into a program and into the kids in the program, it's hard,” Tankersley said. “It's always kind of a bittersweet thing because you invest a lot in them and you care for them, but you also have to do what's best for your family at the same time.”

Tankersley has two sons in college and another graduating from high school this year, but he says the most challenging conversation he had to have was with his daughter. She’ll be a sophomore this fall, and transitions like this aren’t always easy.

“She’s a cheerleader and she’s already down here with me and going to cheer camp,” Tankersley said. “(She’s) taking to it very well.”

Tankersley’s final Stephens County team was 9-4. The Indians’ season ended in a 23-9 loss to Appling County, later overturned after Appling was forced to forfeit for using an ineligible player. Coincidentally, it was that forfeit and nine others that partly prompted Appling County to making a coaching change, getting Fitzgerald’s coach. When the dominoes landed, Tankersley was in Fitzgerald.

It’s a long haul from Stephens County in north Georgia to Fitzgerald in the south — about 4.5 hours. By the time Tankersley got to campus, only two weeks of school remained. That left no time for spring practices.

Instead, Tankersley dove into weight room sessions, using that time to install his core principles and lay the foundation for the program’s culture. Just three weeks into summer workouts, he says he’s “pretty much got every kid’s name down.”

The senior class has responded well to his early demands. When meeting with them, he kept it straightforward and honest about what was needed and his expectations.

“I told them we all got to have faith in each other,” Tankersley said. “We don't have a lot of time to build as the offseason goes. We just got to have faith that we're all working together to try to win a championship.”

Tankersley has put his faith in senior quarterback Victor Copeland. He’s taken the responsibility as the leader of the offense.

Copeland, a track star who won the Class A Division I championship in the 100 meters (10.83 seconds) was all-state in football and was Region 1’s Athlete of the Year. He received his first scholarship offer from Alabama State this spring. Scouts see Copeland as a receiver at the next level.

As a quarterback, Copeland broke the school record for rushing yards in a game last season against Worth County with 417 yards. Fitzgerald won that game 42-38 to advance to the semifinals of the playoffs.

Tyson King, another all-state and all-region player, will take the mantle of leading the defense. This linebacker, standing 6-foot-1, 220 pounds, is built like an old-school backer, and Tankersley says he will be instrumental in everything they do on the defensive side.

Tankersley has also put a lot of responsibility on two-way player Bryce Smith, who plays on the offensive and defensive lines. He, like many other players, will be playing both ways for the Purple Hurricanes.

In the past, the jobs Tankersley had taken were at programs that needed a rebuild. Here, that’s not the case. Fitzgerald has been in the state semifinals for the past five years.

“They've got a great work ethic in the weight room and on the field,” Tankersley said. “They're used to somebody pushing them hard and used to somebody holding them accountable. There's a lot of championship traits already there.”

He says the team expects to be among the best in the state, a shift from the rebuilds he’s taken in the past. He believes this team has championship DNA.

He was also very complimentary of the team’s booster club. He says, even in the summer, parents and boosters are there every morning at 6, ensuring the players have breakfast. He says it’s no hotel breakfast. It’s a good southern breakfast.

“We're talking about ham and bacon and grits and biscuits and you know all kind of stuff,” Tankersley said.

For next season, he believes the Purple Hurricane’s new style won’t feel foreign to fans — it mirrors what he’s always coached. Tankersley said there won’t be major changes to the offensive system. Fitzgerald has been a staunch wing-T team for years.

“My big thing has always been effort, attitude, toughness,” Tankersley said. “We're trying to make sure they continue (that). That's a big part of who they are already, and we want to continue making sure they're doing the things in those areas to continue to be a championship-level football team.”

The clock continues to tick for Fitzgerald — 56 days until kickoff.