Trinity Christian and Mount Paran Christian hired football coaches this week, bringing to 70 the number of offseason hires with 10 jobs still open.
Trinity Christian, a Class 3A school in Sharpsburg, hired Starr’s Mill defensive coordinator Jeff Schmidlkofer on Tuesday. Schmidlkofer has been on Starr’s Mill’s staff since 2014 through six region titles and two state semifinals finishes.
Schmidlkofer replaces Kenny Dallas, who took the Hebron Christian job. Trinity Christian won the Class A Private championship in 2021 and was 2-9 last season after electing to play in a higher classification.
Mount Paran Christian, a Class A school in Kennesaw, hired Connie Arnold, the team’s interim head coach for most of last season.
With Arnold taking over for Matt Ely after four games, Mount Paran Christian went on to win its first playoff game since 2019. The school hired Arnold after what it called “an extensive three-month national search.”
Arnold has been on Mount Paran’s staff since 2011. Mount Paran Christian won a Class A private state title in 2014 with Arnold as the team’s defensive backs coach.
Ten GHSA jobs remain open: B.E.S.T. Academy, Dooly County, Josey, Pataula Charter, Pebblebrook, Tri-Cities, Washington, West Hall, Westside-Augusta and Wilcox County.
The 80 openings exceed last season’s 75, which was the lowest total in more than a decade. The average number of openings in that time is more than 90, strangely exceeding 100 in every odd year since 2017.
Although hiring slows by spring, more openings are likely this year. There are 416 football-playing schools in the GHSA.
Georgia high school football coaching changes
With school, former head coach and new head coach
Alpharetta: Jason Kervin to Brian Landis
Apalachee: Mike Hancock to Kevin Saunders
Armuchee: Eric Belew to Aaron Avery
B.E.S.T. Academy: Bernard Goodrum, no replacement yet
Banneker: Braxton Kelly to Niketa Battle
Berkmar: Andrico Hines to Bre’nard Williams
Berrien: Ken Eldridge to Jackson Dean
Brookwood: Philip Jones to Chad Nighbert
Calvary Day: Mark Stroud to Jason Cameron
Cedar Grove: Roderick Moore to Rich Freeman
Cedar Shoals: Leroy Ryals to Rusty Charpia
Cedartown: Jamie Abrams to Tommy Atha
Central Gwinnett: Larry Harold to Terrance Banks
Chattahoochee County: Bruce Figgins to Michael Nash
Claxton: Greg Hill to Phillip Richards
Commerce: Mark Hollars to Lenny Gregory
Crisp County: Lawrence Smith to Justin Newman
Dalton: Kit Carpenter to Chris Prewett
Dawson County: Sid Maxwell to Jaybo Shaw
Dooly County: Cecil Lester, no replacement yet
Dunwoody: Michael Nash to Matt Schmitz
Dutchtown: Niketa Battle to Kevon Glenn
Eagle’s Landing Christian: Tanner Rogers to Justin Roberts
Elbert County: Shannon Jarvis to Andy Dyer
Emanuel County Institute: Chris Kearson to Chad Harper
Etowah: Matt Kemper to Brett Vavra
Evans: Barrett Davis to Lee Hutto
Flowery Branch: Jason Tester to Michael Perry
Gordon Central: Lenny Gregory to Marcus Gowan
Greene County: Terrance Banks to Darius Robinson
Griffin: Clifford Fedd to Bernard Goodrum
Grovetown: Cory Evans to Dedrick Mayo
Hardaway: Ryan McKenzie to Will Whilden
Hebron Christian: Jonathan Gess to Kenny Dallas
Heritage-Ringgold: E.K. Slaughter to Jeremy New
Hiram: Peter Fominaya to Joe Scott
Hughes: Daniel Williams to Andrico Hines
Irwin County: Casey Soliday to Larry Harold
Islands: Deshawn Printup to Russell Perry
Jones County: Mike Chastain to Justin Montgomery
Josey: Lawrence Pinkney, no replacement yet
KIPP Atlanta Collegiate: James Briscoe to Corey Jarvis
Lakeside-Evans: Steve Hibbitt to Brett Johnson
Lithia Springs: Corey Jarvis to Ben Arnold
Loganville: Gene Cathcart/Stephen Smith to Nic Snowden
Luella: Craig Coleman to Will Richardson
Marietta: Richard Morgan to Cameron Duke
Marion County: Billy Law to Jeff Collins
McNair: Mario Drayton to Markus Brown
Meadowcreek: Todd Wofford to Johnny Burdette
Midtown: Leroy Hood to Calvin Arnold
Mount Paran Christian: Matt Ely to Connie Arnold
Mount Pisgah Christian: Elijer Martinez to Brad Watkins
Murray County: Kurt Napier to Jason Allen
Norcross: Keith Maloof to Corey Richardson
Northside-Warner Robins: Ben Bailey to Daniel Williams
Northview: Scott Schwarzer to Mario Drayton
Pace Academy: Nick Bach to Sean Weatherspoon
Parkview: Joe Sturdivant to Adam Clack
Pataula Charter: Sam Brown, no replacement yet
Pebblebrook: Michael Woolridge, no replacement yet
Pelham: Leonard Guyton to Ryan McKenzie
Prince Avenue Christian: Greg Vandagriff to Jon Richt
Providence Christian: John Russ to Blake Murphy
Rabun County: Michael Davis to Rance Gillespie
Roswell: Chris Prewett to Jonathan Thompson
Savannah: Bud Tolliver to Moses Green
Savannah Country Day: Roc Batten to Joey Blackmore
South Forsyth: Troy Morris to James Thomson
Southeast Whitfield: Todd Murray to Jesse Peppers
Sprayberry: Brett Vavra to Peter Fominaya
Tri-Cities: Rodney Hackney, no replacement yet
Trinity Christian: Kenny Dallas to Jeff Schmidlkofer
Union County: Michael Perry to Rob Stowe
Veterans: Josh Ingram to Steve DeVoursney
Washington: Justin Rivers, no replacement yet
West Hall: Krofton Montgomery, no replacement yet
Westminster: Gerry Romberg to Nelson Stewart
Westside-Augusta: Lee Hutto, no replacement yet
Wilcox County: Rob Stowe, no replacement yet
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