Jones County Schools releases resignation agreements for former AD, head coach

Documents show former AD and head coach will remain on payroll through June 30

GRAY, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – Jones County School System has released resignation agreements for former athletic director Chad Alligood and former head football coach Mike Chastain.

The documents, dated January 31, 2025, confirm that both men submitted resignations effective June 30, 2025, though they were to stop reporting to campus on February 3.

According to the agreements, obtained on March 6 following a February 25 open records request, both men would continue receiving full salary and supplements through June 30, would not use sick leave and would have all time credited to the Teachers Retirement System (TRS).

Alligood’s resignation agreement included an additional stipulation that the athletic director position would not be posted until February 10. As of March 7, the position has not been publicly posted. 41NBC has reached out to the school system for clarification.

Gray Police still investigating booster club finances

On February 5, 41NBC submitted an open records request to the Gray Police Department seeking any incident reports, case files or investigative documents related to Jones County High School athletics.

The following day, Gray Police provided an incident report confirming an investigation into the Jones County High School Touchdown Club’s finances. The report, dated February 3, 2025, states:

“On February 3, 2025, Gray Police Department met with Jones County Board of Education Superintendent Charles Lundy in reference to possible misappropriation of funds related to the Jones County Touchdown Club. The case is under investigation.”

The report named only Lundy and did not mention Alligood, Chastain or any other individuals. It also did not explain why the investigation was initiated.

On February 7, Alligood told 41NBC that the athletic director position had nothing to do with booster clubs and that the booster club investigation was not a factor in his decision to leave.

At a February 11 board meeting, Lundy declined to comment on the investigation when asked by 41NBC.

On March 6, 41NBC followed up with Gray Police to confirm whether its investigation remains active. On March 7, Gray Police responded, stating that the case is still open but that no further updates can be released at this time. 41NBC will continue to follow up with police for any new developments.

How Alligood and Chastain have described their departures

Alligood and Chastain both confirmed their resignations with 41NBC on February 3.

“I made the decision that was best for me and my family,” Alligood told 41NBC at the time. When asked about his next steps, he said, “Just seeing what God has next for me.”

On March 7, 41NBC called Alligood to give him the opportunity to comment further on the resignation agreement.

“Sometimes when you don’t see eye to eye, you just agree to separate,” he said.

On February 20, Alligood posted on X (formerly Twitter) that he was retiring after 30 years in coaching.

“After 30 years in the business I have decided to retire at the end of the school year!” he wrote. “God has a plan and I am just trusting him!”

Alligood confirmed on March 7 that he plans to retire.

Chastain declined to elaborate on his decision last month, saying he had no comment beyond Alligood’s statement. On March 7, 41NBC also called Chastain to give him the opportunity to comment further on the resignation agreement. He declined further comment.

What an audit provided by the school system said

As part of a February 20 open records response, the school system provided an audit report (page 1) conducted by Susan Allie, an independent auditor based in McDonough.

The audit, dated March 19, 2024, did not directly investigate the Jones County High School Touchdown Club but reviewed how the school handled funds collected and disbursed through activity accounts for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2023.

That audit included the following statements:

• “We have audited the accompanying statements of receipts collected and disbursements paid and individual fund balances of the school activity funds of Jones County High School for the year ended June 30, 2023.”
• “Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements based on our audit.”
• “Our audit procedures for cash receipts collected were limited to the amounts recorded in the accounting records because it is impractical to establish adequate internal accounting controls over cash collections prior to the deposit of receipts into the school’s bank account.”
• “These financial statements were prepared on the cash basis of cash receipts and disbursements, which is a comprehensive basis of accounting other than accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.”
• “Under the cash basis of accounting, receipts are recorded when received rather than when earned and disbursements are recognized when paid rather than when the obligation is incurred.”
• “In our opinion, except for the effects of such adjustments, if any, as might have been determined to be necessary had we performed additional procedures on cash receipts, the financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the receipts collected and disbursements paid and individual fund balances for the Jones County High School activity funds during the year ended June 30, 2023, on the basis of accounting described above.”

While the audit reviewed the handling of school activity funds, it did not provide conclusions regarding the booster club’s independent finances.

What the booster club procedures say

The school system’s February 20 response also included a document (page 2) outlining procedures for booster clubs, including financial oversight, required reporting and coach involvement restrictions.

According to the document:

• Head coaches are responsible for overseeing their program’s booster club.
• Booster clubs must submit monthly financial records to the athletic director by the 30th of each month.
• Coaches cannot be on booster club accounts “(for your protection) for legal purposes.”
• The Jones County Schools Chief Financial Officer and auditor had previously stated that coaches should not have any involvement with booster club bank accounts. “There are no exceptions.”

New football coach hired

The Jones County Board of Education approved Justin Montgomery as the new head football coach on February 11, replacing Chastain.

Montgomery will join the Greyhounds from Carrollton High School, where he served as defensive coordinator for a 14-1 team that won a region title in 2024 and finished as GHSA Class 6A state runner-up.

He has more than a decade of coaching experience, previously working at John Milledge Academy, Berry College, Warner Robins High School and Valdosta High School before taking the defensive coordinator role at Carrollton in 2021.

Timeline of events

• January 31: Alligood and Chastain signed resignation agreements with the Jones County School System.
• February 3: Alligood and Chastain confirmed their resignations with 41NBC.
• February 5: 41NBC submitted an open records request to the Jones County School System requesting internal communications—including emails, memos or discussions among school district officials—regarding the resignations of Alligood and Chastain. 41NBC also submitted an open records request to the Gray Police Department, seeking any incident reports, case files or investigative documents related to Jones County High School athletics.
• February 6: Gray Police Department provided an incident report mentioning an open investigation into the Jones County High School Touchdown Club’s finances. The report did not name anyone except Superintendent Charles Lundy, who met with police about the “possible misappropriation of funds.”
• February 7: The school system acknowledged it had received our records request and said it was beginning to process it.
• February 11: The Jones County Board of Education approved Justin Montgomery as the high school’s next head football coach. Lundy declined to comment on an open Gray Police investigation into the Jones County High School Touchdown Club’s finances.
• February 20: The school system responded to 41NBC’s initial records request, stating that no internal communications were found. The response did include an audit report on the high school’s activity funds and a procedures outline for booster clubs, including financial oversight, required reporting and coach involvement restrictions. Alligood posted on X that he is retiring at the end of the school year.
• February 25: 41NBC submitted an additional records request to the school system for resignation letters and employment separation records.
• March 6: The school system provided resignation agreements signed by Alligood and Chastain and dated January 31. 41NBC followed up with Gray Police to ask whether an investigation into Jones County High School Touchdown Club’s finances remains active.
• March 7: Gray Police confirmed its investigation into the Jones County High School Touchdown Club’s finances was ongoing but said no further updates can be released at this time. 41NBC spoke with Alligood, who said, “Sometimes when you don’t see eye to eye, you just agree to separate.” 41NBC also spoke with Chastain, who declined further comment.

41NBC will continue to monitor developments.