Coaching carousel: New coach at Lamar County, promoted coach at Crawford County, and no longer interim at Westfield

By Michael A. Lough

The Sports Report

centralgasports@gmail.com

          Two Central Georgia high school football teams have old names as new – a mere label removal for one – head football coaches, and another one has a fresh name taking over.

          Lamar County plucked Travis Ellington from the Tift County staff, announcing the hiring at a called meeting Tuesday night.

          Ellington leaves his alma mater (1993), where he played football, wrestled and competed in track. He also coached wrestling at Tift County, as well as Toombs County, where he coached after stops in Illinois, Irwin County, and Swainsboro.  He has earned assorted coach-of-the-year honors in wrestling and track, leading Swainsboro to its only state track title in 2007.

          Barnesville.com reported last week that more than 60 coaches had applied, and that interviews were held Friday.

          Head coach Jeff Sloan stepped aside after the 2020 season after two years, moving to an assistant principal position while retaining the role of athletics director.

          Ellington is the Trojans’ ninth head coach this century, following Mark Wilson, Calvin Scandrett, Jason Strickland, Franklin Stephens, Jamie Abrams, Bryan Love, John Flath, and Sloan. Stephens, Abrams, Flath, and Sloan lasted two years apiece, Love one.

          Wilson is at Taylor County, Strickland is at Ware County, Stephens is at McEachern, Abrams is at Cedartown,, and Love is at Wheeler, all as head coaches. Flath is an assistant at Lee County, and Scandrett is athletics director at Crawford County.

          Ellington’s last employer, Tift County, announced Noel Dean is its new head coach, succeeding Ashley Anders, who resigned after the 2020 season after going 35-31 in six seasons, including consecutive quarterfinal trips with the 7A program.

          Westfield made it official on Tuesday with Rob Fitzpatrick taking over on a permanent basis with the removal of the “interim” label.

          The Hornets were a surprise team in GISA Class AAA, going 7-3-1, Westfield’s first winning season since longtime head coach Ronnie Jones retired after the 2015 season. From 2016-19, the Hornets went 10- 34.

          Fitzpatrick, the Hornets’ veteran baseball coach, was named interim football boss in February after Westfield and Bruce Lane parted ways after one season.

          Lane followed Jamey Watson, promoted from assistant to succeed Jones. Watson went 7-25, improving his win total each year before resigning. Watson is on the staff at Veterans.

          The 2020 baseball season was wiped out, but a Westfield release stated that Fitzpatrick – who started at the school in 2008 – will continue as head baseball coach.

          Crawford County promoted longtime assistant football – and head baseball coach – Craig Puckett to the top football job last week. Jhon Smith resigned in December after three seasons and a 5-25 record, including the program’s sixth winless season since 2004.

          Puckett has been on staff for all of them, serving as a longtime defensive coordinator.

          Still open is Jasper County/Monticello.