SUN Coaches Podcast

Dexter Wood personifies the word LEGEND in the state of Georgia annals of high school football. The architect of Buford football, Coach Wood started his career in Alabama. He won 3 state titles back to back to back going on a 45-0 tear at Buford and 210 games total with a 79.9% winning percentage overall. A native of Ozark Alabama, Coach Wood played for the legendary Paul Bear Bryant at the University of Alabama and began his coaching career in Alabama before moving to Georgia. He is one of the all-time great people in the business and I hope you enjoy his story!

Coach Jones won 329 games and 4 state championships with a 74% winning pct in his career. Coach was a HFC for 40 years and had 2, two, that's 2 losing seasons! A native of Phenix City Alabama, Coach Jones played college baseball before graduating and starting his coaching career in Alabama. He won 17 games in 3 years as a HFC in Alabama (which technically give him 345 wins) before coming to Georgia. Coach Jones is one of the finest men to lead young men in our state and I know you will enjoy his story!

Coach Barrs is one of the best to ever do it. He spent 24 years as a HFC winning 164 games at several different stops. He took 3 different schools to at least the quarters or further in the state playoffs and won 6 region championships. Coach Barrs is one of the true gentleman of the game and is regarded by his peers as one of the best to have ever roamed the sidelines. A native of Cochran, Coach Barrs built programs on paying attention to details and discipline. I hope you enjoy Coach Barrs' story.

Coach Cronic is a true LEGEND. A native of Athens GA, Coach later moved to Madison County, Coach Cronic has coached at both the high school and college levels. He has revived programs in high school and built a college program from the ground up. Thought by his peers to be one of the most intelligent men to ever grace the sidelines, Coach Cronic was one of the most innovative coaches during his tenures wherever he was. I hope you enjoy hearing Dr. Danny Cronic tell his story!

Roger Holmes has probably forgotten more about winning football games than most coaches know about winning them. A native of Tennessee, Coach Holmes went to MTSU where he walked on and then started his high school coaching career in Tennessee before coming to Georgia. What he has accomplished at Dublin is beyond impressive. Not only is he closing in on winning 300 games in his career, but he has won 2 state titles at Dublin. Coach Holmes also has one of the premier coaching clinics that he has hosted in Dublin for the past 17 years. He's a true legend as a coach and a man. I hope you enjoy Coach Roger Holmes.

Coach Strickland is a winner. Period. A native of Clinch County, Strick cites coaches Don Tison and Cecil Barber (2 legends) as being the most influential in his desire to enter this profession. He started with Jeff Lee at Twiggs and went from there. Working with great staffs and learning from some of the best, Coach Strickland won state titles as and assistant before going on to becoming a HFC and one of the most successful ones we have in the state now. I hope you enjoy Coach Jason Strickland!

Coach Soliday is one of the last of the hard. He is originally from West Virginia where he played high school football, basketball, and ran track. He played college football as well. He started his career as a GA, coached for 4 years at his alma mater and headed south to interview and stopped in Turner County. He spent the next 30 years as a HFC in GA winning 2 state titles and 232 games to date. He is plain spoken, funny as hell, and a great man and coach. I hope you enjoy Coach Soliday's story!

Coach King is a younger LEGEND. He is a native of Cedartown where he played three sports in high school. He went on to play QB at Carson Newman collegiately before starting his high school career. Coach King has also had two stops in the college ranks as an assistant before returning to college. He has won 2 state championships as a HFC and is averaging 12.8 wins a year as a HFC. I hope you enjoy Coach Joey King's story!

Coach Gillespie has done a lot at many levels. A native of NE GA, Coach Gillespie graduated from Rabun County High School and walked on at the University of Georgia. After college, he went on to be an assistant for some of the legends of the game like George Bobo, Charles Winslette, and Rodney Walker before striking out on his own. Coach has been a college coach at Georgia Southern twice and always returned to the high school game. I hope you enjoy Coach Gillespie's story!

Coach Barden is one of the finest men in the business. A native of Habersham County, Frank played his college ball at West Georgia and started his coaching career with the legendary Coach Rodney Walker. Coach Barden has gone on to be one of the winningest coaches in Georgia High School football playing for state titles five times and winning the 1999 title at Cartersville. Coach Barden is a man of strong faith and that is evident in hearing his story. I hope you enjoy it!