By Michael A. Lough

The Sports Report

centralgasports@gmail.com

There were no doubt skeptics about how good at retirement Barney Hester would be, after leaving the sidelines in 2018 and then athletics administration in 2021.

It turns out he was pretty good at it, he and wife Lynn buying an RV and doing something new: traveling, and during football season.

· Head football coach 1982-2012 (306-79-7, 79 percent)
· 11 state championships: 1988, 1989, 1990, 1994, 1995, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2006, 2007, 2011
· 19 region championships
· Macon Touchdown Club Coach of the Year: 1989, 1990, 1994, 1997, 2009
· GISA Coach of the Year: 1988, 1989, 1990, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011
· Macon Sports Hall of Fame Induction 2006
· 1 of only 10 Georgia high school football coaches with 325+ Career Wins
· Ranks 7th in most wins for all high school coaches in Georgia history
Source: Tattnall email

Alas, retirement didn’t take, and Hester is returning to the place where his coaching career became a legendary one.

Barney’s back at Tattnall, as announced Tuesday morning in an email to students, staff, and faculty from Tattnall head of school – and former Tattnall football assistant – Travis Absher.

“THIS JUST IN! Incredibly exciting news at the Square, COACH BARNEY HESTER IS BACK HOME as our new Head Football Coach!” the school posted on social media around 8:30 a.m. Tuesday.

Attempts Monday evening and Tuesday morning and afternoon to reach Hester have been unsuccessful. This will be updated after he’s contacted.

Hester resigned from Tattnall in 2012, and went to Howard as head coach and athletics director. He resigned as the Huskies’ head coach in 2018 to become the Bibb County public schools athletics director.

He retired from that post in 2021, and did a pretty good job at the post-work gig for awhile with plenty of traveling. Then 11 months ago, he announced his campaign to run for the Bibb County school board.

He was unopposed in District 4, and was sworn in on Dec. 19, a little more than two weeks after Tattnall announced that the 2025 Trojans would play in the newly named Barney Hester Stadium, and a few days short of a month after John Abernathy resigned as head coach in late November to focus on his duties as Tattnall’s head of the upper and middle schools, as well as father to a 3 year old and 1 year old.

Abernathy went 32-24 in five seasons.

Hester was the choice over a number of finalists, according to sources: Westside head coach Spoon Risper, Tattnall assistants Ted Belflower and Lawrence Kershaw, Southland defensive coordinator and former St. Andrews head coach Kevin Prisant, and Edmund Burke head coach Andy Woodard, and St. Anne-Pacelli head coach Dwight Jones, among others. Former Tattnall athletics director and assistant coach Jeff Ratliff is amid a superb run at Gatewood and was not interested.

The vacancy and candidates had the local grapevine busy, with early reports that it was Risper’s job. But he was told before the Christmas break that he wasn’t the choice. That was about the same time other contenders were told of a decision, and that the announcement would come on Jan. 7, more than two weeks later.

Jones’ name emerged after Christmas, and he appeared to be the choice. But late last week, The Sports Report learned that Jones was not going to be the next coach - and, as it turns out, Jones never applied - and speculation resumed with suddenly no favorite in sight, although one source observed Monday that “now it is Barney in a temporary transitional role.”

In all that time, Hester wasn’t mentioned - on the outside - as a serious possibility, especially considering his new role on the school board.

Absher’s email:

“It is with great excitement and anticipation that I announce the return of coach Barney Hester as the Head Football Coach at Tattnall Square Academy! Coach Hester, with an impressive Tattnall record of 306-79-7 during his previous tenure, will be joining our staff full-time. His leadership will have a tremendous impact not only on the success of our football program but also on the character and growth of our student-athletes.

“Coach Hester brings a wealth of experience, a commitment to high standards, and a focus on the discipline, development, and personal growth of every player. His proven influence will continue to extend beyond the football field as he mentors and invests in the lives of our young men, helping them become leaders both in competition and in life.

Tattnall will soon play at Barney Hester Stadium
Hester retiring as Bibb County athletics director at end of 2021
Howard loses coaching legend as Hester leaves to take over as Bibb County athletics director
Tattnall announces Hester’s departure
At 500 games, Hester is still in building mode

“When asked about accepting this new position, Coach Hester shared, ‘My family and I are excited and honored that I will be returning to Tattnall Square Academy as the Head Football Coach. I look forward to the challenges ahead and would like to express my sincere gratitude to Mr. Absher for providing me with this opportunity. Over the coming days, I hope to spend time getting acquainted with all the new faces at Tattnall and reconnecting with those from past days. This program has been built on a solid foundation. My goal as football coach will be to prepare the team to continue that winning tradition. Go Tattnall!’

“On a personal note, Courtney and I are excited that our young boys, Cason and Cannon, will experience Coach Hester’s instruction and that current and prospective families at Tattnall Square Academy will also recognize this incredible opportunity for their children.”

Hester had an uninspiring record of 7-24 in three seasons at Josey Academy and 9-32-1 in four seasons at Gordon-Ivey at the start of his head coaching career in 1974.

A year at Georgia Southern under Erk Russell followed, and he started at Tattnall as head coach in 1982.

In 31 seasons with the Trojans, he went 306-79-7, with 19 region titles and 11 GISA state championships with only two losing seasons, 4-6-1 in 2004 and 4-8 in 2012, his final season.

The Bibb County high school football world was surprised when he resigned, and, after a career in private schools, moved up U.S. Highway 41 to Howard.

Approved on Jan. 17, 2013, he became Howard’s third head coach in the program’s sixth season, going 18-32-1 in five seasons, leaving after a 6-5 year that included the program’s first trip to the playoffs.

He moved to the Bibb County athletics director job in March of 2018.

In 43 seasons as a head coach, Hester has 12 losing seasons. Seven were in his first seven seasons as a head coach, at Josey and Gordon-Ivey. His first sub-.500 year at Tattnall came in 2004, year 23 with the Trojans.
The Trojans’ 11-1-1 mark in 1984 was the first of 19 seasons with 11 wins or more at Tattnall.

According to the Georgia High School Football Historians Association, Tattnall is 440-190-8 all time in 54 seasons. Hester has 69.5 percent of the wins over 57.4 percent of the seasons.

The Trojans are looking for their first trip to a state championship game since the 2011 GISA Class AAA title.