Georgia HS football coaching changes: Walker hires former NFL receiver

Warren County promoted defensive coordinator Rashad Carter to be its next head football coach.

Carter is a head coach for the first time after 19 seasons of coaching high school football in Georgia. Carter was surprised to be offered the job but didn't need much time to decide to take it.

"When they gave it to me, I actually broke down crying because it was only the Lord's will," Carter said. "It was just an amazing feeling. The first thing I did when they offered me the job and told me I had it, they were talking mid-sentence I stopped and turned to the side and thanked the Lord for it."

Carter was a defensive backs coach at Burke County for 16 years under former coach Eric Parker before taking the defensive coordinator position at Warren County.

Warren County offered Carter the head coaching position on Feb. 11, exactly three years to the day from when it offered Carter the defensive coordinator position.

"Coming from a small city to another small city, it was an easy adjustment," Carter said. "The community loved me, I fell in love with the community, I fell in love with the kids and it just felt like home to me.

"Once it felt like home, I told them, 'Hey, I want to retire in Warrenton because of the love that they showed me.'"

Carter will take over a program that has made the playoffs five of the last seven seasons. The Screaming Devils went 6-6 last season and won their first playoff game since 2021.

The Walker School has found its next head coach in former Houston Texans and Baltimore Ravens receiver Alec Lemon.

Lemon most recently served as head coach at Glen Burnie in Maryland. He also coached at Anne Arundel County in Maryland, where he led the program to its first third-round playoff appearance.

Lemon was a standout receiver at Syracuse, where he set the school's career and single-season receptions records and was a semifinalist for the Biletnikoff Award, given to the nation's top college football receiver.

“I am truly honored to serve as The Walker School’s next Head Football Coach,” Lemon said in the school's statement. “This is an incredible opportunity to join such a respected and distinguished institution. The support and strong sense of community that I felt while on campus are what make Walker so special. 

"Our student-athletes are motivated, driven and ready to make their mark as we move the program forward in a positive direction. I am excited to get to work and help elevate Walker Football to new heights."

Lemon takes over a Walker program that has finished 2-8 the last two seasons. The Wolverines did make the playoffs in 2023 after a 6-5 season.

Greene County has hired former Rome assistant Chris MacFarland to lead its program next season. 

MacFarland enters a unique situation at Greene County. He'll succeed former coach Darius Robinson, who parted ways with the school after his arrest for allegedly choking a player and putting another in a headlock.

MacFarland served as Rome's special teams coordinator and varsity assistant coach last season. He was also won special teams coordinator of the year awards in 2021, 2022 and 2024.

MacFarland was previously a successful head coach of Norwalk  in Ohio. He led the team to its first league title since 1976 and earned All-Ohio Division II football coach of the year and Northwest District II football coach of the year in 2011.

“I am honored and grateful for the opportunity to serve as Head Football Coach at Greene County High School,” MacFarland said in a school statement. “I believe in building a program centered on discipline, accountability, and academic success. My goal is to develop young men of strong character who represent their school and community with pride, while competing at a championship level.”

 Chattahoochee announced the promotion of assistant coach Austin Hamilton to head coach on Wednesday.

Chattahoochee hired Hamilton as offensive line coach in 2023. He coached the past three seasons under former coach Daniel Carlisle, who took the head job at Alpharetta in January.

Hamilton was a 2011 state champion as a player at Grayson before winning a 2015 GSC title at West Georgia in 2015. He was an offensive line coach at South Forsyth before taking the same job at Chattahoochee.

Hamilton is the eighth head coach in program history. He'll try to lead the Cougars to their first winning season since 2017.

Morrow has named Jarrett Laws as its next head football coach, he confirmed to the AJC on Friday.

Laws has been a head coach in Georgia since the 2007 season. He's coached at Mt. Zion-Jonesboro, Drew, Griffin, Salem and Central-Macon. Laws and Central-Macon parted ways after an 0-10 finish to 2025.

Laws' best season came in 2014, when he led Griffin to an 11-1 record and a region championship in his first season. He led Mt. Zion to the state quarterfinals in 2008, and the school hasn't won a playoff game since his departure.

Laws will take over at another struggling program in Morrow, which is coming off a 1-9 season. The Mustangs' last winning season was a 6-5 mark in 2019.

Northgate found its next head football coach in the assistant coaching ranks of one of the top Class 4A teams in Georgia.

Kell assistant coach Chaz Ferdinand was announced as Northgate's seventh head coach on Wednesday. Ferdinand grew up close to Northgate as an alumnus of crosstown rival Newnan.

Ferdinand served as assistant head coach at Kell, coaching an offense centered around four-star running back Quinterrius "Moonie" Gipson. The Longhorns went 11-3, won their region and made the state semifinals while averaging over 31 points per game.

Northgate went 8-3 last season, a stark difference from its 2-8 finish in 2024, under former first-year coach Kevin Whitley. Westlake hired Whitley after the turnaround last season.

Northgate will make the jump to Class 7A next season and compete in a talent-drenched region with Carrollton, Douglas County, East Coweta, Westlake and Paulding County. The Vikings competed in Class 5A last season.

Veteran Georgia high school coach Sheddrick Risper will take over at Macon County, he confirmed to the AJC on Thursday.

Risper was the winningest modern era coach in Bibb County during his time at Westside-Macon. He coached the Seminoles for the last 17 seasons, amassing a 119-72 record.

Westside made the playoffs 15 times under Risper, including two trips to the quarterfinals. The Seminoles also won a region championship under Risper in 2012.

Macon County is coming off a 5-6 season that ended with a first-round playoff exit. The Bulldogs have made the playoffs for the last 14 seasons, including a state championship season in 2016.

Risper will place Kurt Williams, who parted ways with the school after two seasons. Risper will be Macon County's 12th head football coach.

Brantley County is in the market for a new head football coach after parting ways with David Shores. 

The Blue Herons went 0-10 last season for the first time since 2001, losing by an average of 33.8 points.

Shores was in his second year with the program. Brantley County went 2-8 in his first season.

Shores served as assistant head coach, special teams coordinator and safeties coach for Brunswick before Brantley County hired him. He also worked on staffs at Camden County, Lowndes and Peach County. Shores also has extensive coaching experience in the Alabama high school ranks.

Brantley County hasn't had a winning season since 2016 and hasn't made the playoffs since 2021. The Blue Herons are looking for their 16th coach in the program's 55-year history.

Washington County went to Cedartown to find its next head football coach.

The program has hired the Bulldogs' offensive coordinator Jay Ware as its next head coach, according to a WRDW report. Ware coached a 2-8 Cedartown team that averaged 18.9 points per game.

Cedartown was much better in the years before last season. The Bulldogs won at least eight games every season from 2020 to 2024 and averaged 33.6 points per game during that stretch.

Washington County replaced former University of Georgia running back and former first round NFL draft pick Robert Edwards. The school and Edwards parted ways in December.

Washington County has made the playoffs annually for the last seven seasons but hasn't won a postseason game since 2018.

Union Grove has announced Sumter County offensive coordinator Darren DeMeio as its next head coach.

DeMeio's Panthers averaged over 41 points per game last season and advanced to the semifinals.

Union Grove went 0-10 last season for the second time in school history. The last time was the program's inaugural season in 2000.

The Wolverines also averaged just 11.7 points per game.