What’s Next for Gilmer Football?

Zach Grage’s departure after just one season as the head coach of the Gilmer High School Bobcats football team has left the administration within Gilmer County with the task of finding a replacement for the second time in as many years.

Many have asked what the procedure is for hiring a new football coach. #TeamFYNSports sat down with GHS Athletic Director Rodney Thurman to find out what will go into locating a new head coach for the Bobcats.

The search will begin at the level most teachers use to find work in the state of Georgia, TeachGeorgia.org. Thurman delved deeper into the posting, saying, “It’s not the best place to put resumes. So, if you’re relying on that for your resume (to be seen), it’s probably going to be at the bottom of the pile. Most of the coaches know that.”

FetchYourNews.com was the first to report on Grage’s departure. According to Thurman, interest came in almost immediately after the news broke.

“There is extensive interest in the job,” Thurman said. “The interest is coming in through different avenues. Some are going to the central office, some are going to the principal, some are coming to me. To give you an idea, before it was even on TeachGeorgia that we had an opening, the very day that it came out on FetchYourNews.com, I got a call from Ann Arbor, Mich. Someone had let the University of Georgia coaches know through your site, which they then contacted Thomasville, then backtracked to see where Grage was from, which led to them finding Gilmer, then they called the guy in Ann Arbor and the next thing you know, I’m getting calls.”

Over 20 applicants have shown interests thus far. There has been rumored interest from within the Gilmer County School System and the system was allowed to hire from within, but the job was opened regardless. Although the interest comes from many different areas, Thurman explained that an extensive interview process will take place to ensure Gilmer makes the right decision.

“This process will have a committee,” Thurman explained. “There will be 10 to 12 on the committee in the first interview stages. We’ll probably pick 10 to interview. Out of that, two or three will be recommended to above and a committee will then be formed at the central office level. They will look at those two or three and decide who to recommend to the Board (of Education.).”

The opening will close Wednesday. A decision will hopefully be reached by the March 21 work session for the Board of Education, after which voting on the hiring of a new coach will take place at the regular meeting March 24.

 

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