Jones County welcomes new coach Justin Montgomery at community meet and greet
The Jones County Community Came Out to Greyhound Field to meet the new head coach of the Jones County High School Football Team
GRAY, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – The Jones County Greyhounds have been hard at work to prepare for the 2025 season, after they finished last year with a strong 10-2 record. With new players to step up and a partially-new coaching staff, the Greyhounds introduced their new head football coach, Justin Montgomery, during a meet and greet with the community Thursday evening at Greyhound Field.
Joined by family, staff, players, and supporters, Coach Montgomery addressed the Gray community for the first time, to outline his vision for the program’s future. He introduced his T.O.U.G.H. acronym, which places a focus on core values of Truth, Ownership, Unity, Gratitude, and Honor — principles he believes will shape not only champions on the field, but also strong young men off it.
Montgomery also shared the spring practice schedule and introduced the new faces on his coaching staff.
Montgomery’s arrival has already generated excitement within the community. After he addressed the crowd, he took time to personally meet each member of Greyhound Nation in attendance. A faculty member and parent of a senior player expressed her excitement about Montgomery’s leadership.
“He brings such a positive energy,” Felicia Skinner said. “And you can definitely feel it around here. As a parent of a senior and a faculty member, I’m so excited about football season this year. He just brings a different style, and what he said about player development is extremely important. It’s all about the students and their learning. Coaching is about raising these young men up, and I think Coach Montgomery understands that.”
After the meet and greet, Montgomery reflected on the support he’s already felt from the Gray community and his transition to Middle Georgia.
“I’ve been staying with my dad in McIntyre,” Montgomery said. “He’s been cooking good food for me, so I’m thankful for that. Not to mention the free rent. “The community seemed excited tonight. It was good to meet people and get to know the players’ families. I’m excited to get in the weight room with the guys tomorrow. We’ve been talking about how Rome wasn’t built in a day, but it was built every day. We can’t change everything at once — we’re going to go through things with a fine-tooth comb, make adjustments, and make this program our own.”
Montgomery says his staff understands the high standards already established at Jones County and is focused on continuing to build on that foundation.
“We’re just trying to shock their system right now, and a lot of guys are feeling sore, but they’ve leaned into it well. I’m proud of how they’ve responded. We’re focused on doing the little things the right way. Tough times don’t last, but tough people do, and that’s who we’re going to be.”
With Montgomery at the helm, Jones County is prepared to make a serious push for a state championship, and the community is ready to rally behind them.
