Baldwin seeks new coach, Hannah seeks new job

Lee Hannah had a feeling during the season that his days might be numbered.

Baldwin was struggling through what would be a 4-7 season, battling a 1-5 stretch during which the Braves offense had trouble scoring.

Hannah’s feeling became reality in mid-December when he was let go.

“They relieved me of my duties as of Dec. 16,” Hannah said. “I’m still a teacher here. That pretty much sums it up.

“I had heard things through the community. I prepared myself for this. It’s just a tough situation here.”

Hannah, who spent three seasons on the Mary Persons staff and has coached at Sandy Creek, Martin Luther King, Duluth and Mays, went 15-18 in three seasons.

He was hired to replace Dexter Copeland, who was fired in December of 2013 after going 27-16 in four seasons, 3-7 in 2013, his only losing season at the school.

Hannah said one issue was overall support, including facilities — such as weight training — and being shorthanded on the coaching staff. He said he had a four-person staff his first year and six the past two.

While the talent level has decreased in recent years, Hannah said 15 players had earned spots on college rosters, not including who may join that list next month on National Signing Day.

“Our (team) GPA went up from a 2.2 to a 2.7 in three years,” Hannah said. “So some progress has been done.”

Copeland has said he battled the same issues during his four seasons following taking over for Jesse Hicks, who was successful with the Braves.

Baldwin had seven winning seasons and one .500 year under Hicks, who left for two seasons at Dougherty (3-18) and is 20-31 in five seasons at Central.

“It takes that extra stuff,” Hannah said. “If you’re not committed to it, then you’re going to continue to be average.”

Football change at Windsor

Windsor has announced a change in its football program, with a longtime Middle Georgia coaching figure taking over as head coach.

Bill Beatty, the former Warner Robins offensive coordinator and baseball head coach who became Windsor’s baseball head coach last season, will become the Knights’ football head coach, replacing James Watts, who will remain at Windsor as assistant headmaster and athletics director.

“I was called in a couple of weeks ago,” Beatty said. “(Watts) said he felt like his administrative duties was taking up too much time. He said he had to get rid of something, and he asked me if I could do (football).”

Beatty worked as Watts’ offensive coordinator for the past two seasons. In 2015, Windsor averaged 46 points and 480 yards per game in reaching the GISA Class 2A semifinals as part of a 9-4 season. Last fall, with a younger team, the Knights reached the Class 2A quarterfinals in a 6-6 season.

Inspired by Gus Malzahn’s style of offense, Beatty said he plans to keep the spread-I formation he implemented as offensive coordinator.

“We put up a lot of points the last couple of years,” Beatty said. “We hope to keep that going.

Watts, who became Windsor’s head coach in a midseason move in 2012, will continue to help out with the program, wearing a headset in the press box on Friday nights.

“I was promoted to assistant headmaster last summer, and we made it through football and had a good season,” Watts said. “But I thought it might be a good time to hand things off. My kids are older and involved in things, and as AD I still have to be there at softball games and other things. It’s a good time to step back.”

Help found, help wanted

Howard head coach Barney Hester confirmed the addition of former Warner Robins assistant Paul Carroll to the Huskies’ staff.

“In fact, he just started (Thursday),” said Hester, who will begin his fifth season at Howard this fall. “We’re happy to have him.”

Carroll was the assistant head coach, defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Warner Robins, where he had been since 2010.

He has also coached at Tift County, Thomas County Central, Griffin, Northside-Columbus, McIntosh, Jones County and Greene County.

Dublin is looking for an offensive line coach to replace Lance Helton, who was hired as the new head coach last week at Jeff Davis.

The Yellow Jackets finished 2-7 last season, the only season for head coach Ed Lovvorn, who was promoted from within to succeed Roger Metts.

Helton will be Jeff Davis’ seventh head coach since 2000.

Head coaching openings remain at Bleckley County and Northeast. Bleckley County’s school board meets Tuesday, while the next scheduled Bibb County school board meeting is set for Thursday.

(An earlier version of this story included a caption that incorrectly identified a photo as one of former Baldwin County High School football head coach Lee Hannah.)

This story was originally published January 12, 2017 at 5:27 PM with the headline "Baldwin seeks new coach, Hannah seeks new job."