Peach County head coach Chad Campbell says he’s stepping down
The 1987 Hawkinsville High School graduate says he made the decision "a few weeks ago."
FORT VALLEY, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – Peach County High School’s Chad Campbell says he’s stepping down after 16 seasons as the Trojans’ head football coach.
The Atlanta Journal Constitution’s Todd Holcolmb was the first to report the news Wednesday.
Campbell, a 1987 Hawkinsville High School graduate, told 41NBC’s Tucker Sargent he came to the decision a few weeks ago. He said he came home on a Thursday and told his wife he was going to finish the season but felt it was time for the players to hear someone else’s voice.
Campbell’s 2022 Trojans finished 8-4 after falling in the second round of the Georgia High School Association (GHSA) AAA playoffs.
The 53-year-old, who finishes his time as the Trojans’ head coach with a record of 168-38, served as a Peach County High School assistant coach from 1993-2006. He’s also spent time as the school’s head baseball coach, head track coach and director of athletics.
He was promoted to head football coach in 2007 and won the GHSA AAA title following an unbeaten season in 2009. His teams have won 10 region titles and finished as state runners-up three times: in 2011, 2017 and 2018.
The 2017 state championship game ended in controversy. “It definitely don’t feel good, that’s for sure,” Campbell said that day after accepting the runner-up trophy. “I just feel bad for our kids the way they fought back and got back into the ballgame, had a chance to win.”
Campbell’s teams made the playoffs in all 16 seasons and won at least 10 games in nine seasons.
He said Wednesday he’s not sure yet when he’ll leave the school and that he’s still waiting to see what his next chapter holds.
