As we enter the 2025 football season, it’s always a MUST to see who will lead each team on the gridiron this season. There’s quite the list of newcomers (or boomerangs), as Commerce, Dawson, Rabun, Stephens, and Union all feature new head coaches.

Here are the coaches leading the programs, and their respective track records (order by number of seasons).

Rance Gillespie – Rabun County Wildcats

23 Seasons // 1st Year at Rabun County

Total Record: 170-91

2024: 7-4, State Semifinals @ Brookstone

All Stops (5)
Rabun County: 0-0 (2025-Present [0 years])
Brookstone: 23-13 (2022-24 [3 years])
Hart County: 28-27 (2017-21 [5 years])
Valdosta: 49-20 (2010-15 [6 years])
Peach County: 65-16 (2001-06 [6 years])
Banks County: 5-15 (1999-00 [2 years])

Playoffs: 20 Appearances (33-18); 2 State Championships (2005, 2006); 2 State Runner-Up (2003, 2023); 2 Semifinals (2022, 2024); 3 Quarterfinals (2004, 2010, 2019)

Region Titles: 5 [2011, 2006, 2005, 2004, 2003]

All-State Players: 50+

Outlook: Rance Gillespie’s pedigree is excellent. The 2-time State Championship coach and 2-time Runner-Up makes Rabun his sixth stop, and as an alum he’s going to be as on fire as ever to lift the Cats to a state title or in the conversation. He’s 22nd among active coaches in total wins, and has a star-studded senior group in his first year with Ty Truelove, Reid Giles, Lake Evans, and others.

Travis Noland – Jefferson Dragons

21 Seasons in GA (28 Overall) // 4th Year at Jefferson

BLITZ Legendary Coach

Total Record: 175-65 in GA; 221-97 overall

2024: 11-4 (Region 8-AAA Champions), State Runner-Up

All Stops (5)
Jefferson: 32-8 (2022-Present [3 years])
Oconee County: 70-27 (2014-21 [8 years])
Stephens County: 73-30 (2005-13 [9 years])
Tuscola (NC): 17-6 (2003-04 [2 years])
Clyde Erwin (NC): 29-26 (1998-02 [5 years])

Playoffs: 19 Appearances [24 Overall] (26-24); 1 Quarterfinal runs in GA & NC [’05]; 1 Semifinals Run (’23), 3 State Championship Appearances [’19, ’20, ’24]

Region Titles: 9 [2024, 2023, 2022, 2020, 2019, 2015, 2007, 2006, 2005]

All-State Players: 50+

Outlook: Noland eclipsed 200 career wins in 2023, and in 2024 reached his third state championship game. He ranks seventh among active coaches in wins, and will have a lot to replace on his Jefferson team. However, he has 4-star LB and Clemson commit Max Brown back for just his junior season.

Heath Webb – Lumpkin County Indians

16 Seasons // 4th Year at Lumpkin Co

Total Record: 88-75

2024: 7-4 (Region 7-AAA Runner-Up), State Rnd 1

All Stops (4)
Lumpkin Co: 27-8 (2022-Present [3 years])
Gainesville: 18-25 (2018-2021 [4 years])
Winder-Barrow: 26-19 (2014-2017 [4 years])
North Paulding: 17-23 (2008-2011 [4 years])

Playoffs: 10 Appearances (3-10); 1 Quarterfinal (2024)

Region Titles: 1 [2023]

All-State Players: 19

Outlook: Webb enters new territory as life without Cal Faulkner (Georgia Tech) begins. The team will have a massive amount of holes to fill, but the foundation laid over the past three years will show up. It might be a bit of a rebuild, but bringing back Nolan Matthews and Mason Hester should prove to be a strength offensively.

Benji Harrison – Habersham Central Raiders

14 Seasons // 11th Year at Habersham

Total Record: 51-86

2024: 4-7, State Rnd 1

All Stops (2)
Habersham Central: 39-66 (2015-Present [10 years])
Jackson Co: 12-20 (2012-14 [3 years])

Playoffs: 6 Appearances (1-6)

Region Titles: 0

All-State Players: 14

Outlook: Harrison has now been at Habersham Central for 11 years, tying the great Larry Black. He brings back star QB Paris Wilbanks and stud RB Donnie Warren, so the offense should be even better.

Todd Winter – Banks County Leopards

14 Seasons // 2nd Year at Banks Co

Total Record: 92-54

2024: 2-8

All Stops (3)
Banks Co: 2-8 (2024-Present [1 year])
Holy Innocents: 55-27 (2017-2023 [7 years])
Pinecrest Academy: 35-19 (2012-2016 [5 years])

Playoffs: 9 Appearances (11-9); 4 Quarterfinals (2015, 2019, 2021, 2022)

Region Titles: 4 [2022, 2021, 2019, 2015]

All-State Players: 20

Outlook: What a tough first ride for Todd Winter at Banks. That was to be expected when switching up the offensive and defensive scheme and building a program basically from the ground up. In year two, there should be some improvements as players have developed more. Still not ready for the tippy top, but trending in the right direction. Lane Morris returning at QB is a huge advantage.

Jason Roquemore – Towns County Indians

14 Seasons // 7th Year at Towns Co

Total Record: 31-97

2024: 5-4, No Playoffs

All Stops (2)
Towns Co: 15-43 (2019-Present [6 years])
Johnson: 16-54 (2012-18 [7 years])

Playoffs: 0 Appearances

Region Titles: 0

All-State Players: 2

Outlook: Roquemore has a great nucleus coming back including and led by Dustin Barrett. Tucker Engert is another big piece, and the program will look to build off their 5-win season that was one of their best ever.

Lenny Gregory – Commerce Tigers

11 Seasons // 1st Year at Commerce

Total Record: 63-53

2024: 4-7, State Rnd 1 @ Gordon Central

All Stops (4)
Commerce: 0-0 (2025-Present [0 years])
Gordon Central: 4-17 (2023-24 [2 years])
Collins Hill: 46-28 (2017-22 [6 years])
Centennial: 13-8 (2015-16 [2 years])

Playoffs: 7 Appearances (9-6); 1 State Runner-Up (2020), 1 State Championship (2021)

Region Titles: 2 (2021, 2020)

All-State Players: 12

Outlook: Gregory has a rich history in just a short time, as he coached Travis Hunter (recent Heisman winner and NFL #1 overall pick) at Collins Hill to a state title and runner-up the year prior. He’s coming to Commerce and looking to re-invent everything you know about the Tigers and their offense. Look out!

Rob Stowe – Union County Panthers

11 Seasons // 1st Year at Union

Total Record: 57-57

2024: 7-5, State Rnd 2 @ Wilcox County

All Stops (4)
Union County: 0-0 (2025-Present [0 years])
Wilcox County: 50-24 (2019-24 [6 years])
Gilmer: 7-33 (2003-06 [4 years])

Playoffs: 6 Appearances (8-6); 1 Semifinals (2021), 1 Quarterfinals (2022)

Region Titles: 2 (2022, 2021)

All-State Players: 12

Outlook: Rob Stowe, a Rabun County native, is entering year one at Union. He’s had a pair of region titles and lots of success that included a semis and quarters at Wilcox County, never having a sub-.500 season. He got his feet wet at Gilmer years prior before going 2007-2018 as an assistant coach rather than head coach. He’s got a lot of talent including sophomore QB Kamden Kendricks and QB/ATH Cade Dockrey at his disposal. It’s a young, talented, and experienced team that he can quickly get to buy in.

Jaybo Shaw – Dawson County Tigers

7 Seasons // 1st Year at Dawson

Total Record: 54-21

2024: 2-9, State Rnd 1 @ Greenville (SC)

All Stops (4)
Dawson County: 0-0 (2025-Present [0 years])
Greenville (SC): 2-9 (24 [1 year])
Wayne County: 17-7 (2022-23 [2 years])
Rabun County: 35-5 (2019-21 [3 years])

Playoffs: 6 Appearances (9-6); 3 Quarterfinals (2019, 2021, 2022), 1 Semifinals (2020)

Region Titles: 3 (2021, 2020, 2019)

All-State Players: 12

Outlook: Jaybo Shaw is back in North Georgia! He is most known for guiding the Gunner Stockton-led Rabun County teams for a few years with a high-flying offense. He had great success at Wayne County afterwards, turning that program around quickly. A brief stint in SC probably made him miss Georgia football, and now he takes over a Dawson program that has been very good the last decade-plus, with several key pieces back. Shaw should ignite this team to a solid first year in Dawsonville.

Chad Bennett – White Co Warriors

4 Seasons // 4th Year at White Co

Total Record: 12-19

2024: 3-7, No Playoffs

All Stops (1)
White Co: 12-19 (2022-Present [3 years])

Playoffs: 1 Appearance (0-1)

Region Titles: 0

All-State Players: 6

Outlook: Gone is dual threat QB Tripp Nix, so the Warriors will start something new. This is officially Bennett’s team from top to bottom as he enters year four. He’ll have talents like Brayden Roach, Gaines Clark, and others that have had breakout seasons, but he will have to break in a new QB as well.

Chuck Holland – Franklin County Lions

3 Seasons // 3rd Year at Stephens

Total Record: 4-16

2024: 3-7, No Playoffs

All Stops (1)
Franklin County: 4-16 (2024-Present [2 years])

Playoffs: N/A

Region Titles: 0

All-State Players: 0

Outlook: Chuck Holland has seen progression over year one (1-9) to year two (3-7), with the offense doubling its output and the defense getting 50% better in scoring average. This is huge, and bodes well for this season and beyond. Holland has some new talent to work with this year, so Franklin could be on the verge of turning a big corner.

Thomas Flowers – Stephens County Indians

1 Season // 1st Year at Stephens

Total Record: 0-0

2024: N/A *DC for Stephens County

All Stops (1)
Stephens County: 0-0 (2025-Present [0 years])

Playoffs: N/A

Region Titles: 0

All-State Players: 0

Outlook: Thomas Flowers enters his first-ever season as a head coach, but he’s been the DC for a spectacular unit at Stephens County over the last handful of seasons. He knows the team, the culture, and is a great fit to get his official start as head ball coach.