15 Highest-Paid High School Football Coaches in Georgia

Georgia high school football coaches keep getting big paychecks of $100,000 or more. According to records obtained by First Coast News, at least 44 high school football coaches made more than $100,000 during the 2017-2018 school year. The number of coaches making at least $100,000 has doubled since the 2014-2015 school year. It depends a lot on what that coach has to offer.

In Georgia, a coach’s pay depends on several things, such as their level of experience and education. Most of the time, the salary also includes a bonus for coaching football and extra pay for working more days. In some school districts, coaches get paid for winning postseason or playoff games. This is true for more than just football.

This article has all you need to know about becoming a high school football coach in Georgia. You would also find the 15 highest-paid football coaches in Georgia. Let’s dive right in.

What do the Highest Paid Football Coaches in Georgia do?

Football coaches in Georgia have a lot of duties and responsibilities. The most popular are:

A football coach is in charge of making sure that players have the skills they need to do well in their careers.
They organize practice sessions
Coaches plan physical conditioning programs to help players do better overall
They choose team members for each game
They also plan game strategies and give players constant direction and support.
These coaches also have to help their players work together and be good sports.
There are no set hours for football coaches. Their hours depend on the tournaments and games they have coming up. This includes nights, weekends, and even holidays. They might also have to travel from time to time.

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What do you Need to Become one of the Highest Paid Football Coaches in Georgia?

A bachelor’s degree is usually required to start a career as a football coach, but it is not compulsory. Usually, football coaches can get their bachelor’s degree in any subject. But if they want to be college or professional coaches, they should study sports science and related subjects.

In any case, you should know a lot about football. Most of the time, this kind of knowledge comes from being a (former) player of the game or from coaching. The most common way to get experience is to coach high school sports teams. But people can also help out as assistant coaches and team managers to get this kind of experience for free.

Should I Get A License Or Certification to Become a Football Coach in Georgia?

To work as a public high school coach, you usually need to get a license from the state. You may also need to finish some required education courses. They may require that you learn CPR and take a course for beginners. But this can vary from county to county.

Even though college and professional coaches don’t need a license, it is highly valued. It is often required that they have valid coaching certifications. The position of the college or professional coach also affects the certification requirements.

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How Much Money do Football Coaches in Georgia Make?

According to the BLS, high school coaches and scouts made an average of $47,020 per year. In 2021, the pay for people who worked in elementary and middle schools was $31,450.

The top 10% of workers in this field made $81,940 or more, while the bottom 10% made $19,340 or less.

What is the Job Outlook for Football Coaches in Georgia?

In the coming years, there will likely be more demand for coaches in Georgia. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the number of coaches and scouts should grow by 26%. The expected date is from 2020 to 2030.

This is because more high school and college students are getting involved in sports. More so, there is a lot of competition, especially for college and professional jobs that pay well. If you want your chances to be better, you should have a lot of years of experience coaching. You should also have football and valid certifications.

Extensive knowledge and a successful football career can make up for a few years of coaching experience. This is a huge plus and is the reason why professional and college coaches have had successful careers.

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Highest Paid Football Coaches in Georgia

First Coat News, a Jacksonville-based news organization, has been researching these numbers for the past four years. They found that 44 of the head football coaches in Georgia made more than $100,000 this school year. That’s about twice as many as in 2014-2015. The study does not include the salaries of coaches at private schools. Mostly because those records are not available to the public.

Five of Georgia’s 10 highest-paid football coaches will not be back next season. Two of them got fired, two of them got better jobs, and one of them retired. The five highest-paid football coaches in Georgia are-

#1. Rush Propst ($141,870)

The Colquitt County Board of Education fired Propst a few weeks ago. Even though he was the highest-paid coach in Georgia. An investigation found that he had done wrong things, like giving over-the-counter medicine to players. Despite their telling him not to and losing control of the team.

In nine of the last ten seasons, Propst led Colquitt County to the semifinals or further in the highest classification. In 2014 and 2015, he led Colquitt County to state titles with undefeated teams. He is one of the highest-paid high school football coaches in Georgia

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#2. Franklin Stephens ($128,226)

Franklin Stephens is one of the highest-paid high school football coaches in Georgia. Stephens should become McEachern’s head coach. He is the third-highest paid coach. No one knows for sure if Stephens will get a pay raise. Kyle Hockman, who used to be the coach at McEachern, wasn’t on First Coast’s list. Hockman became the head coach at New Manchester, a school near Savannah, Georgia.

#3. John Ford ($123,761)

Ford was Buford’s head coach for two years. But he quit because of pressure, even though the team had a 21-5 record during that time. He hasn’t worked anywhere else. Bryant Appling is now the defensive coordinator for Buford.

King left Cartersville to work at Coastal Carolina as a college student. In five years, King had a record of 67–4 and won state championships in 2015 and 2016. Conor Foster is now the defensive coordinator for the city of Cartersville. He is one of the highest-paid high school football coaches in Georgia.

#4. Lee Shaw ($119,443)

Shaw retired from Rabun County, which gave his son Jaybo Shaw a new job as offensive coordinator. He is one of the highest-paid high school football coaches in Georgia.

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#5. Joey King ($123,252),

First Coast News also said that six of the 44 coaches were among the highest-paid workers in their school systems. 12 of them had previously coached in Florida. There, the pay is lower because there are fewer extra benefits for coaches. Joey is one of the highest-paid high school football coaches in Georgia.

#6. Sid Maxwell $125,190.39

Sid Maxwell was recently made head football coach at Dawson County High School. He has a career record of 133-75 wins.

Gibbs said in a release that Mr. Maxwell will also take over as head football coach. The Dawson County Board of Education voted to hire Maxwell after a closed part of the work session. Maxwell is one of the highest-paid high school football coaches in Georgia

#7. Sean Calhoun $122,768.11

Sean Calhoun was the head coach at Alabama’s Vestavia Hills most recently. In his six years as a head coach, he has a 55-18 record and won three region titles. He got named the 2019 and 2020 Region Coach of the Year.

Calhoun said that his first job as the Packers’ head coach is to put together his coaching staff. Calhoun said that the chance to lead the Packers was “overwhelming”. He is one of the highest-paid high school football coaches in Georgia

#8. Robert Sapphire $119,454.86

Bob Sapphire gave up his job, leaving a spot open at one of the most important programs in Georgia. Sapphire is a coach at Fort Thomas, Ky.’s Highlands High School. He grew up in Brandenburg, Kentucky.

As a coach at Lexington Catholic in 2005, he won a state championship. Sapphire is one of the highest-paid high school football coaches in Georgia

#9. Eric Parker $115,818.60

Eric Samuel Parker is a former wide receiver for the National Football League. He was born on April 14, 1979. In 2002, the Houston Texans picked him up as a free agent. He played football in college in Tennessee.

Parker got signed by the San Diego Chargers not long after he left the Texans. He was on the practice squad for a while, but in late 2002, he got on the main team.

Parker had a good season in 2003, but an injury to his shoulder cut it short. In 2005, when he caught 57 passes for 725 yards, it was his best season. The Chargers signed Parker to a new five-year deal during the offseason of 2006. Parker is currently one of the highest-paid high school football coaches in Georgia

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#10. Kevin Smith $114,372.96

Kevin Smith is in his second season as the running backs coach at Ole Miss. He moved there with head coach Lane Kiffin from Florida Atlantic. He is one of the highest-paid high school football coaches in Georgia.

Smith made an immediate impact in Oxford, and in 2020, his team had the best running game in the SEC. Smith was Kiffin’s running backs coach at FAU from 2017 to 2019. He helped the team win two Conference USA titles. Smith helped the FAU running backs run for 2,000 yards in three straight games.

#11. Jesse Hicks $114,073.34

Jesse Hicks is one of the highest-paid high school football coaches in Georgia. Hicks has been a player and a coach at the college level. His knowledge has helped both high school teams get back on track.

He went to Glenn Hills High School in Augusta and played football there. He then went to Albany State and played linebacker there. He also coached linebackers and was in charge of recruiting at Albany after he stopped playing.

In 2002, Hicks quit his job as head coach at Albany State to take the same job at Baldwin. In the next seven years, Hicks and Baldwin went 70-22 and made the state playoffs six times. They reached the semifinals in 2005 and the quarterfinals in 2008. Hicks helped a lot of Baldwin players get into college.

#12. Chadwick Phillips $113,515.78

Chadwick Phillips always wanted to be a good high school coach. He grew up in California and saw his father, Jim Phillips, coach baseball and football at the high school level. He knew he wanted to coach basketball after playing for Greg Hayes at Canyon High School.

Coach Phillips’s career as a basketball coach began in the summer of 1995. After working with Greg Hayes and Dave Humphreys for two years as a coach, he went to Sonoma State to finish his BA. In 1999, Coach Phillips was back at Canyon teaching and coaching. He is one of the highest-paid high school football coaches in Georgia

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#13. Zach Grage $113,290.44

The Lowndes County School Board voted to let Zach Grage, take over as the new head coach of the Vikings football team. Grage called Lowndes a “destination job”. Zach is currently one of the highest-paid high school football coaches in Georgia.

Zach Grage is no stranger to seven-A football in the state of Georgia. He was an assistant coach for Colquitt County before his coaching career took him to Rose City. There, he spent the last six seasons as head coach for the Thomasville Bulldogs. He won many region titles and came in second place in the state this past season.

#14. Brad Harber $112,743.04

Brad Harber is one of the highest-paid high school football coaches in Georgia. He has worked in the entertainment industry before and knows how it works. He is also skilled at planning events, helping customers, managing sports, coaching, and football.

Georgia Southern University gave her a BS in kinesiology with a focus on health and physical education/fitness. She is a strong professional in community and social services.

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#15. Ken Cribb $112,338.08

In 2021, Wayne County didn’t win any games. But guess who made that happen? Ken Cribb. He is one of the highest-paid high school football coaches. He made the Bobcats one of the best teams in the Palmetto State.

He took Wayne County to the second round of the GHSA state playoffs three times. Including 2018 when the Jackets finished the season with an 11-1 record. Before moving to Wayne County, Cribb did well in South Carolina.

Summary

The coach of a football team is in charge of the team as a whole. He is also in charge of each player’s development and performance. This path to a career requires both technical and professional skills. A football coach must also have a strong interest in the game.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is the highest-paid football coach in Georgia?

Rush Propst is the Georgia football team who makes more money than any other football coach. This is according to the reports from Sports Illustrated.

How much do Georgia high school football coaches make?

Clay County’s average salary is $44,483. Duval County’s average salary is $47,000. Nassau County’s average salary is $46,372. St. Johns County’s average salary is $48,190. On average, coaches are worth at least $60,000 a year.

Who is the high school football coach in the US who makes the most money?

Max Preps says that Hank Carter, Scott Surratt, Todd Dodge, Gary Joseph, and Randy Allen were the five most well-paid coaches. Hank Carter is in charge of the team at Austin’s 6A Lake Travis High School.

How much does Valdosta High School’s football coach get paid?

As of May 27, 2022, the average salary for a Head Football Coach in Valdosta, GA is $53,709. But the salary range is usually between $48,393 and $59,514.

How does someone in Georgia become a high school football coach?

The Georgia High School Association has a program called “Community Coach Education”. You must finish it to become a certified “Community Coach.” You MUST sign up for this course through the school where you will be coaching. Your school fills out the form online and sends it in. The course will cost you $325.

References

firstcoastnews.com– High school coaches in Georgia
ajc.com– Highest paid football coaches in Georgia
bulldawgillustrated.com– High school coaches in Georgia

15 Highest-Paid High School Football Coaches in Georgia | Best List