AC repair in Brunswick, GA

Brunswick (Ga.) didn’t have to look far when it came to who will be the next next head coach of their football program.

According to a report by ITG Next Georgia, the Pirates are set to name Cook County head coach Byron Slack as the Pirates next lead man for the football team. Slack has served as the head football coach of the Hornets the last four seasons, compiling an overall record of 28-21.

Slack takes over for Garrett Grady, who stepped down as Brunswick head football coach in the aftermath of the brawl with Gainesville that occurred in the Class AAAAA playoffs.

Back on Nov. 25, the Georgia High School Association (GHSA) had previously announced the suspension of 41 Brunswick players, fining the school $5,000 and barred the Pirates from participating in the 2026 playoffs. The association met with Glynn County Schools and decided to amend the sanctions, lifting the program’s playoff ban and rescinding 39 of the 41 player suspensions, but continued to uphold the fines assessed to Brunswick, which went 9-3 in 2025.

Grady left the Pirates with an overall record of 36-10, qualifying Brunswick for the postseason each of his four years leading the program.

The Pirates graduate key starters like Florida signee Heze Kent and offensive linemen Kasiyah Charlton (UCF signee), Chase Richardson (Kennesaw State signee), but are slated to return a pair of 1,000-yard rushers in Nigel Gardner (1,205 yards, 17 touchdowns) and Josiah Gibbons (1,288 yards, 12 touchdowns), respectively.

More about Brunswick High School

Brunswick High School, located in Brunswick, GA, is known for its strong academic programs and commitment to student success. The school offers a range of extracurricular activities, including a robust athletics program. The Pirates compete in various sports, including football and basketball, and are recognized for their spirited school culture and dedication to excellence in both academics and athletics.

How to Follow Georgia High School Football

For Georgia high school football fans looking to keep up with scores around the nation, staying updated on the action is now easier than ever with the Rivals High School Scoreboard. This comprehensive resource provides real-time updates and final scores from across the Peach State, ensuring you never miss a moment of the Friday night frenzy. From nail-biting finishes to dominant performances, the Rivals High School Scoreboard is your one-stop destination for tracking all the high school football excitement across the state of Georgia.

Brunswick, Camden County among top jobs for new head football coaches

Dozens of Georgia high schools are looking for a new head football coach to lead their programs into the 2026 season.

While Georgia remains one of the top states for attractive head coaching opportunities, it also seems to be one of the leading states as far as vacancies are concerned, as is evident with the annual turnover that occurs after each regular football season.

The number of openings among Georgia high school head football coaching positions generally averages 75 to 100 at the start of the calendar year, as many schools wait for the completion of the playoffs and state finals to begin the search for potential candidates to consider for their program vacancies.

So far, 2026 is no different.

As most schools get back to normal following the long winter break, football programs are entering 2026 searching for head coaches to lead their programs. At the start of the new year and as of Jan. 1, approximately 55 head coaching jobs were available following the end of the 2025 season. Some of those positions were filled within days, but others remain vacant, and more openings could be announced.

Southeast Georgia Openings

Among the openings are Southeast Georgia programs Brunswick and Camden County.

The Pirates job opened up when Garrett Grady resigned from his position at Brunswick following the fallout from a bench-clearing brawl in the GHSA Class 5A football state playoffs against Gainesville.

It was an unfortunate and somewhat surprising end to what had been an otherwise stellar coaching performance by Grady. In his four seasons as head coach, he had led the Pirates to a 36-10 record, which included three region championships.

Grady spent four years as an assistant on the Brunswick staff before being named head coach in 2022.

His Pirates teams made the playoffs each year, including the 2025 season, as his team finished with a 9-3 record.

Many consider the Brunswick opening one of the most attractive jobs available.

That’s also the case with the Camden County head coaching position, which has now opened up twice since the end of the 2025 season.

Initially, the job opened up when the decision was made not to retain Travis Roland, who led the Camden County football program as its head coach in 2024 and 2025. Roland’s teams finished 7-4 and 6-4, missing the playoffs this past season.

Camden County wasted no time in naming former Camden County assistant coach Jon Lindsey as its new head football coach on Nov. 14.

With less than two months on the job, Lindsey took everyone by surprise when Camden County Schools announced in a press release that he would not be taking the head coaching position after all.

So it’s back to square one for Camden County.

While many schools are seeking new head coaches to come in and rebuild struggling programs, the Camden County and Brunswick jobs will present coaches with the opportunity to inherit programs that have enjoyed recent winning seasons with above-adequate facilities and solid middle school feeder programs.

Other Notable Openings

Irwin County is seeking a new head coach after Larry Harold is out following just one season as the Indians’ head coach.

Irwin County suffered through one of its worst seasons in program history with a 1-9 finish this past season.

The Indians were coming off a 12-2 season with a semifinal appearance in 2024, but the loss of several key players as well as the resignation of head coach Casey Soliday forced Irwin County to look for a new head coach. That led to the hiring of Harold, formerly of Central Gwinnett.

Harold’s attempt to change the Indians’ run-heavy offensive attack to a spread formation with many new faces did not end well for the Ocilla, Georgia, program.

Whoever takes over the Irwin County program will be facing big expectations to return the Indians to their winning ways of the past decade prior to 2025.

One of the surprises among schools looking for a new head football coach is Mitchell County, which has decided to go in a new direction from Dondrial Pinkins. The former quarterback for Mitchell-Baker (when the two counties were combined) had finished with a 49-39 overall record in two separate stints as head coach at the Camilla, Georgia, school. He first served as head coach of the Eagles from 2008 to 2012 before returning in 2021.

“After five seasons at Mitchell County High School, I have been informed that the school has decided to move in a different direction with its football program,” Pinkins said. “Over the past five years, we encountered a lot of adversity. However, it was a privilege to work alongside a group of dedicated coaches and, most importantly, the young men in this program.”

Additional Coaching Vacancies

Other Georgia high school football programs looking for a new head football coach include:

ITG Next will continue to provide updates on Georgia high school head football coaching changes.

BRUNSWICK, Ga. - Brunswick High’s football program will remain eligible for postseason play next year after the Georgia High School Association’s Board of Trustees voted Wednesday to overturn nearly all of the player suspensions tied to a second round playoff brawl with Gainesville.

Brunswick Pirates win appeal

What we know:

The board met virtually to hear an appeal from Brunswick Principal Slade Turner and District Athletic Director Steve Waters, who argued the school should face penalties consistent with recent similar incidents. According to meeting minutes, trustees voted 11-1 to overturn 39 suspensions and downgrade the program’s probation status to a severe warning. Waters, who also serves on the board, abstained.

GHSA sanctions Brunswick, Gainesville after brawl

The backstory:

The GHSA had originally suspended 41 Brunswick players, a decision that drew scrutiny after Gainesville successfully won a court injunction overturning its own suspensions from the same fight. Gainesville argued the GHSA had been inconsistent when compared to an August bench clearing incident involving Northeast and Southwest High Schools in Macon.

The two Brunswick players who were ejected during the game will still serve a one-game suspension. Fines issued to Brunswick and Gainesville were not part of the appeal and will remain in place.

The controversy stemmed from a playoff game between Gainesville and Brunswick that erupted into a bench-clearing fight, prompting the GHSA to suspend 39 Gainesville players as video of the brawl spread online. The ruling jeopardized the Red Elephants’ postseason run, leaving most of the roster sidelined ahead of the Class 5A quarterfinals.

Gainesville challenged the decision in Hall County Superior Court, arguing the suspensions were overly broad and did not account for individual conduct. A judge granted an injunction blocking the penalties and clearing most players to return while the legal dispute continued. The GHSA appealed, briefly delaying Gainesville’s scheduled matchup against Langston Hughes.

As court proceedings unfolded, FOX 5 Atlanta reported incremental roster updates as players regained eligibility. By December 1, Gainesville confirmed all suspended players had been reinstated, allowing the team to take the field at full strength.

Brunswick head coach quits

What we don't know:

The Glynn County School System did initiate an internal investigation and announced there would be sanctions, but it remains unclear what actions were taken.

Brunswick Coach Garrett Grady also resigned in the aftermath, leaving an opening for the team's top spot.

Red Elephants vs. Rome Wolves

What's next:

The Red Elephants won their quarterfinal matchup against Langston Hughes and will face the Rome Wolves in the semifinals Friday at 7:30 p.m.

The Source: The details in this article come from the Georgia High School Association’s Board of Trustees, with previous FOX 5 Atlanta reporting also used.

It didn’t take Garrett Grady long to find himself a high school football coaching job in South Georgia after his exit from Brunswick (Ga.) earlier this week.

According to a post by the Coffee Trojans (Ga.) football team via X, formerly known as Twitter, Grady was welcomed as the program’s new offensive line coach. The Trojans are led by head coach Mike Coe, who led the program to a Class AAAAA state championship in 2023.

Grady recently stepped down as Brunswick’s head coach in the aftermath of the brawl with Gainesville a couple weeks ago. He had previously served four seasons as the Pirates’ head football coach and five as the program’s offensive coordinator.

Back on Nov. 25, the Georgia High School Association (GHSA) had previously announced the suspension of 41 Brunswick players, fining the school $5,000 and barred the Pirates from participating in the 2026 playoffs. The association met with Glynn County Schools and decided to amend the sanctions, lifting the program’s playoff ban and rescinding 39 of the 41 player suspensions, but continuing to uphold the fines assessed to Brunswick.

The sanctions stemmed from an altercation that happened back in November and occurred late in the third quarter of the playoff game between Brunswick and Gainesville, with viral video showing Pirates’ players instigating Red Elephants’ players, igniting an all out melee between the two teams.

Grady leaves the Pirates with an overall record of 36-10, qualifying Brunswick for the postseason each of his four years leading the program.

How to Follow Georgia High School Football

For Georgia high school football fans looking to keep up with scores around the nation, staying updated on the action is now easier than ever with the Rivals High School Scoreboard. This comprehensive resource provides real-time updates and final scores from across the Peach State, ensuring you never miss a moment of the Friday night frenzy. From nail-biting finishes to dominant performances, the Rivals High School Scoreboard is your one-stop destination for tracking all the high school football excitement across the state of Georgia.

Glynn County Schools assistant superintendent Steve Waters announced on Wednesday that the Georgia High School Association (GHSA) has lifted the Brunswick football program’s playoff ban for the 2026 season and also done away with a majority of the player suspensions handed down from the fight with Gainesville.

Back on Nov. 25, the GHSA had then announced the suspension of 41 Brunswick players, fining the school $5,000 and barred the Pirates from participating in the 2026 playoffs. That number grew to 44, but according to Waters’ announcement, 42 of the 44 players will see their suspensions lifted.

The lifting of the sanctions is a result of a meeting that took place today between the Glynn County School System and the Georgia High School Board of Trustees. Below is an excerpt from the statement provided by Waters regarding the lifting of the sanctions.

“As a result of the meeting, the Board of Trustees voted 11-1 to lift the post-season ban against Brunswick High School. The players who were officially ejected in the game report will serve suspensions, but the suspensions for players not listed as ejected have been removed,” Waters said in the statement.

“As a result, 42 of the 44 players originally suspended will have their suspensions lifted. Brunswick High School will pay a fine. Brunswick High School will continue to follow the Glynn County Code of Conduct and any additional disciplinary actions will be handled according to those established procedures. Our district holds student behavior and sportsmanship to a high standard, and that expectation has not changed.”

The sanctions stemmed from an altercation that happened back in November and occurred late in the third quarter of the playoff game between Brunswick and Gainesville, with viral video showing Pirates’ players instigating Red Elephants’ players, igniting an all out melee between the two teams.

The aftermath of the fight has seen the resignation of head coach Garrett Grady, who stepped down on Monday. Grady left the Pirates with an overall record of 36-10, qualifying Brunswick for the postseason each of his four years leading the program.

How to Follow Georgia High School Football

For Georgia high school football fans looking to keep up with scores around the nation, staying updated on the action is now easier than ever with the Rivals High School Scoreboard. This comprehensive resource provides real-time updates and final scores from across the Peach State, ensuring you never miss a moment of the Friday night frenzy. From nail-biting finishes to dominant performances, the Rivals High School Scoreboard is your one-stop destination for tracking all the high school football excitement across the state of Georgia.