Grage Opens Up About Departure; “The Main Reason Was Family.”

GHS Football, Team FYN Sports

In one year at the helm of the Gilmer High School football program, Zach Grage guided the Bobcats to a 4-6 record.

But in that process, Grage set a foundation for the future of GHS football as well.

Everything looked concrete for the 2016 season, until the news of his departure for Thomasville High School broke Jan. 19, leaving many within Gilmer County with one question: Why?

Why leave behind a program that had given you your first head coaching job? Why make all the offseason plans if they were not going to be seen through?

#TeamFYNSports met with Grage just 24 hours before the release from his contract with Gilmer County was put into effect, to discuss the backstory of his arrival to Gilmer County, what he learned in his first year as a head football coach and most importantly, why is he leaving?

Grage is pictured with his wife Mandy and their two children. He cited the need for his wife to be closer to family as his main reason for leaving Gilmer. (Photo courtesy of Gilmer Bobcats Football).

Grage is pictured with his wife Mandy and their children Noah, Daniel and Luke. He cited the need for his wife to be closer to family as his main reason for leaving Gilmer. (Photo courtesy of Gilmer Bobcats Football).

“I wouldn’t say it’s a decision to leave Gilmer, as much as it is to take advantage of the opportunity at Thomasville,” Grage said. “The main lure of the job, after I heard about it after the season, was the fact that it was right there next to my wife’s family. My wife is a saint. She’s fantastic. You could tell right at the end, although she never complained about anything, that there would have been a few days where it would’ve been nice to have (her) mom around to help her with the boys.When we went down for Thanksgiving, they came up to us and said, ‘What’s going on at Thomasville?'”

What had happened at Thomasville was a head coach vacancy had opened up for the Bulldogs. Leroy Ryals resigned after a 1-8 season at the Region 1-AA school. Although the one year as a head coach at Gilmer ended with a 4-6 record, officials at Thomasville were impressed enough with Grage that when he came in for the interview and pointed out his performance as offensive coordinator for Colquitt (which won the Georgia High School Association Class AAAAAA championship during his tenure) and his work in the Bobcats football program, the Bulldogs viewed him as the right man for the job.

“I wasn’t going to go to just any program,” Grage explained. “If you look at it … it’s a 2-A school, so based on classification, you are bumping down. But spending six years in South Georgia and we played them my first year at Moultrie (Colquitt)… you know the tradition, the nostalgia. They’re similar to Valdosta, in regards to championships and wins. There’s big name players. So, I wasn’t going to go just anywhere in South Georgia to get her (his wife) home. I put my stuff in Dec. 5 and actually thought that it had died out. I know a couple of the guys they were talking to and for whatever reason, it didn’t work out.  Then there was the weekend where they are supposed to make a decision. I went and interviewed on a Tuesday and they called me Monday and told me I got the job. It was kind of the ‘perfect storm,’ minus the fact that I was only here for a year and was never able to follow through on many things.”

It is easy to look at Grage leaving on paper and accuse him of leaving after one season without making much of an impact, on or off the field. As Grage pointed out, however, what he brought to the table while running the GHS football program will resonate well after his departure.

“I was actually really content with where I was (at Colquitt) and what I was doing,” Grage admitted. “I had a friend call me and tell me about the opening at Gilmer. I did some research and found out about its success in recent years and I said, ‘This is a great place to go.’ It had to be something that was good. When we came in, we changed a lot of things and the parents and players put in a lot more effort and time.”

He continued, “The vision was to get it as close to what I knew from being with Coach Propst. Everything is based on energy, tempo and excitement and surrounding yourself with people that do the same thing, by coaching the team with energy, tempo and excitement. We were fortunate to bring in Sean Thom, Caleb Bagley, Terry Luck, Michael Baker, Mark Bailey and Steve Harp.”

Head Gilmer High School football coach Zach Grage addresses players on the sideline last season. During his one season at Gilmer (his first as a head coach), he led the Bobcats to a 4-6 record. (Photo by: Kevin Hensley)

Head Gilmer High School football coach Zach Grage addresses players on the sideline last season. During his one season at Gilmer (his first as a head coach), he led the Bobcats to a 4-6 record. (Photo by: Brian Pritchard)

With his vision in place, Grage then set out to execute. “We came in and wanted a solid platoon,” Grage explained. “We got the numbers up by seeing kids in the hallway and letting them know they would have an opportunity to play. The year before I got here, there were 52 kids. We ended this season with 78. In those numbers, you have to try and find some players. We struggled with that early on in the season, whether it was through injury or through my own hardheadedness. The success we started getting toward the end of the season was that we found the good mixture of putting (Thaddeus) Bowers at quarterback and having Lucas (Bramlett) play a little bit both ways. Mixing in Noble (Zuschlag) and all of those big-name players … letting them do what they can do. If we start that a little earlier, that’s great and maybe things (would’ve) changed for the better. That’s one of the things we were going into this season, was if they can do it … Griffin Cagle can play wide receiver and corner, so he’s going with it. I think that helped prepare me for this new job.”

Grage also implemented long-lasting changes off the field, as well. “I think we did a great job installing the strength and conditioning program, that I kind of prided myself on and still do,” said Grage. “The kids get after it and they do a good job. Now we’re close to, and I hope they continue to, instituting a nutrition program. The cafeteria staff was phenomenal in helping us out by feeding the kids breakfast and giving them snacks before they went out to practice every day. Parents were feeding the kids, there were pre and post-game meals … the kids were eating and I think that showed. We didn’t have any cramping issues and any issues with getting tired. I think it’s a great thing that we got the fieldhouse repainted. It’s a little thing, but it gives the kids motivation to walk down here and work for this community, seeing that it was done by the community and done correctly. The rec program did a great job of instituting our philosophies. The rec program here is unbelievable. You’re not going to find one this good in most places in the state.”

While pointing out all of his accomplishments, Grage also listed things he learned, through trial and error. “I wanted everything to happen now, now, now,” Grage admitted. “That’s one of the things I learned as a head coach is that it is a process. The administration was great about sitting me down and saying, ‘Ok, we can get this done. But give us a list of must-haves and wants.’ They were fantastic about providing us with a lot of the things we asked for. I wish we could’ve filled the two open coaching slots. That was going to be a big focus during the offseason.”

All of the experience Grage compiled during his first year as a head coach is something he says he will take with him throughout the remainder of his coaching career.

“Forming relationships with the kids, trying to get them to go play at the next level and then them coming into my office, even after the decision was made and they were thanking me. It’s more of me thanking them,” Grage concluded. “I’ll always be appreciative of them, the community, the parents and everybody that was involved that gave me the opportunity to be a head coach.”

2 Comments

  1. Vince February 2, 2016 at 2:39 pm

    These boys from the colquitt structure are all the same. Come in bragging about their tempo and newness of everything then they find out football is the same as it was 30 years ago. Gotta have those guys that can block and tackle and run. He didn’t think he had enough of that to win the “rush” way so he bolted…. these cats will blame all of their decisions of ‘family’
    … good luck thomasville, hope you have some players for ‘air’ grage to work outl

  2. levi #40 March 6, 2016 at 8:32 pm

    i couldnt have asked for a better coach he and all the other coaches taught me you get out what you put in. coach grage taught me how to play and how to have fun while we were at it. i loved showing up to practice everyday and jokeing around with him even in the weight room. coach pushed me to my limits and i thank him for that he has made my weight numbers go up along with my skill i just hope whoever we get for a new coach will be like him. GO GET THOSE BOYS IN TOMASVIL COACH!!!!!

Leave a comment

Back to Top