Longstanding Leaders
With more than 15 years of head coaching under each of their belts, these local coaches have dedicated their careers to football, leading teams to well-deserved victories, lending a supportive word during tough losses, and providing mentorship both on and off the field. Here, we talk to longstanding leaders of our local high school football community about their careers in coaching, what leadership means to them, and the impact football has had on their lives.
Photography by Hacker Medias
Coach Gary Rankin
Boyd-Buchanan School
40 Years as a Head Coach
Q. How has coaching football impacted your life?
A. Football became a way of life for me! It’s been a great family adventure that has impacted my family in so many great ways. Blessings we have received from this great game are endless!
Q. In your years of coaching, is there a standout memory?
A. My first state championship in 1994 at Riverdale High School! First ever at the school and also my first of 17.
Q. What do you enjoy about coaching?
A. Competition. Seeing the kids work toward a common goal. Excitement in the eyes on Friday nights! I enjoy the relationships with the kids and other coaches! It’s a relationship business.
Q. How do you invest in your team and players, on and off the field?
A. It’s a daily investment in the lives of your players! Coaches have to wear so many hats when dealing with today’s kids! Coaches can help fill voids in many instances. There is a relationship that develops and, in some cases, lasts a lifetime.
Q. What does strong leadership look like?
A. Leaders are positive and encouraging. Good leaders are uplifting and praise people for jobs well done! A true leader inspires, motivates, and directs others toward common goals.
Q. What are some of your most significant accomplishments during your years of coaching?
A. The ability to have consistent programs at four different schools and do it at a high level!
Coach Frank Barden
Christian Heritage School
30 Years as a Head Coach
Q. What do you enjoy about coaching?
A. I enjoy everything about coaching. I love seeing the players grow individually and as a team. I enjoy seeing their potential and the challenge of helping them reach their best, along with developing a work ethic that will carry into their adult life. Building a culture or mindset to operate and do things at a higher standard and to try to live that way each and every day. To watch some players who are born leaders, and then to see those who developed those traits make every-
one around them better.
I have learned to embrace the tough times because without those times we can’t grow and reach our mountaintops of success. I can’t say enough about the people you meet and develop lifelong relationships with and learn from to make yourself and your journey all the more special. The players you coach are who standout and are remembered.
Q. What life lessons does football teach?
A. Football teaches you lessons your mom and dad can’t teach you – you will get knocked down and you have to get back up. Being a part of something bigger than yourself. Playing with character and sportsmanship. Teamwork means we all need others to achieve our best.
Q. What are some of your most significant accomplishments during your years of coaching?
A. Our 1999 Cartersville team that won the state championship. An incredible year that had everything you can imagine as part of the journey. We finished the season 15-0, had a great group of young men who played together and believed in one another, had an excellent staff of coaches that loved not only coaching but the character of the players, had a great community that loved their school, and most importantly, that was made possible through Faith – Family – Football.
Coach John “Mac” Bryan
Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe High School
28 Years as a Head Coach
Q. What are some of your most significant accomplishments during your years of coaching?
A. I’ve been awarded conference or region coach of the year eight times, but my greatest accomplishment is all the young men who continued their football careers, either playing or coaching, after being a part of our teams.
Q. How do your years of experience give you a leg up when coaching?
A. Experience allows you to have a system in place and stick with that system. Football, practice structure, organization, etc. With experience, you’ve seen most situations before and are better at seeing potential problems before they come up.
Q. How do you invest in your team and players, on and off the field?
A. You invest every day by demanding effort and dedication. This applies to football, the classroom, and everything a young man does. Do it the best you can do it.
Q. What does strong leadership look like?
A. The best leaders are those who lead by example. Players see who works hard and know who is invested. Those people can lead.
Q. What life lessons does football teach?
A. All the important lessons a young person needs. Teamwork, accountability, dedication, how to handle success, and how to overcome setbacks. Football is not about instant gratification – it’s about daily hard work that pays off over time.
Coach Bob Ateca
Grace Academy
25 Years as a Head Coach
Q. In your years of coaching, is there a standout memory?
A. Early in my career I took over a struggling program. We spent the first three seasons making little to no progress. After a late season loss, I came to a moment when I asked God if this was what he wanted me to do for a living. I had surrendered parts of my life to Christ but not my career. It was clear on that night that coaching was my calling, but I had been doing it for myself and not for the players. After that, I changed the way I coach. I began to see coaching as my mission field. It became more important to me who our players became as young men, husbands, and fathers rather than how many games we won. Ironically, this is when winning on the field began to happen.
Q. What advice would you give to anyone considering becoming a football coach, or someone just starting out?
A. Coaching is a high calling. If you love being around young people and helping to raise the next generation, there is no better profession. I enjoy getting up each day knowing I have the opportunity to influence young people. When talking to coaches just starting out, it’s important for them to realize this is no easy task. This is a great responsibility and not one to take lightly. We are helping to shape future generations.
Q. How has coaching football impacted your life?
A. We live our lives in football seasons. Working through one season only to begin another the next year. Each one has its own challenges along the way. It has allowed me and my family a lifetime of memories. It has taught me that whether we win or lose, my family will always be there to love and support me. In all the years of coaching and traveling around the county, my wife has stood beside me and experienced it all with me, and that has been special. I could not have imagined doing this life any differently. God has blessed me!
Coach Chad Barger
East Ridge High School
25 Years as a Head Coach
Q. How do your years of experience give you a leg up when coaching?
A. I have been coaching for a total of 25 years, and I feel like I have learned more about what not to do than what to do. Coaching is a delicate balance. Players are different and what worked well with one group of young men may not work with another. The lesson is that God gave us two ears and one mouth for a reason. We should listen twice as much as we speak, and we should listen to understand, not to reply.
Q. What do you enjoy about coaching?
A. I enjoy being around the players and coaches and the camaraderie that comes with the sport. Football mirrors life quite a bit and watching people learn to sacrifice for others, trust others to do their job, and learn to communicate effectively is a win.
Q. How do you invest in your team and players, on and off the field?
A. We keep an open line of communication with our players. We feed our young men and keep a check on their grades in school. The simplest way we invest is just talking to our young men. We ask them about things that are not just school or sports related. We want to know about their interests, plans for the future, and how the family is doing. You have to really get to know your players and their interests to relate to them. The most rewarding part is watching your players become solid citizens and great husbands and fathers.
Q. How has coaching football impacted your life?
A. I believe that coaching opens our eyes to people. Coaching is a sacrifice. The scariest part is knowing that you are one of the most influential people in a young person’s life. Ultimately, you want to be the positive role model and influence on these young men.
I wouldn’t trade these years of coaching for anything. I hope that all of my former and current players know that they have bettered my life, and I hope that I have bettered theirs.
Coach Jason Fitzgerald
Sale Creek High School
23 Years as a Head Coach
Q. How do your years of experience give you a leg up when coaching?
A. Being in so many situations through the years helps me make better decisions. The most important is to not be too positive or critical after a game but to go back and watch the film. Because usually you didn’t play as good as you thought or as bad as you thought!
Q. How do you invest in your team and players, on and off the field?
A. My biggest investment is off the field. On-field stuff will take care of itself if you invest off the field. I talk to each player about home, school, family, girlfriends, etc. If you don’t truly know what is going on in each young man’s life, you will not be able to help them reach their potential. Every young man is unique and you have to coach them each a little differently.
Q. What does strong leadership look like?
A. Confident but willing to listen. When someone takes a leadership role, they want to come in and change things and put their stamp on it. I don’t think a good leader comes in and starts changing things right away. They come in and listen to the people who have been there. See what has worked and what hasn’t. Leadership is not about telling everyone what to do, leadership is about listening to everyone and then putting together the best possible plan to be successful!
Q. How has coaching football impacted your life?
A. I love the team aspect, the relationships with the players, and the coaches. When my son Jackson died in 2011, it also taught me that winning and losing is not nearly as important as the relationships that you build with your players.
Coach Mark Mariakis
Signal Mountain High School
23 Years as a Head Coach
Q. In your years of coaching, is there a standout memory?
A. There have been three pivotal moments: the first was when I got my first head job at LFO and Coach Pete Potter called and told me to hire good men first because you can teach anyone to coach football. The second was when I worked under Coach John Starr at Chattooga High School. John taught and showed me how to care for and support the kids who were often overlooked and neglected, which prepared me for the relationships I would build in the future. Finally, during my second season at Ridgeland, we were trying to rejuvenate the program and struggling. Coach Eric Edwards advised me that if I was going to get fired, it should be for doing things my way rather than following the advice of others. Following that advice, we went on to win the last two rival games against Ringgold and LFO and never looked back.
Q. What do you enjoy about coaching?
A. The experience of observing a group of people unite for a common goal is truly remarkable. In today’s society, so much attention is placed on individual accomplishments such as stats, the transfer portal, and name, image, and likeness (NIL). Coaching a team of players and seeing them set aside their desires to work together for the team’s success is incredibly fulfilling and rewarding!
Q. How do your years of experience give you a leg up when coaching?
A. The key lesson I have learned from my 40 years of coaching football is not to out-coach yourself. I have seen coaches make this game way too complicated. Our recipe for each of our teams is to keep it solid and simple so our players can play fast. It’s not about what I know but what the players can learn. I never want to create a system where our success relies on the performance of one player, and I never want the weather to dictate what I can and can’t do on a Friday night. I also know you better do what your players do well, not necessarily what you as a coach would like to do.
Coach Ted Gatewood
Red Bank High School
20 Years as a Head Coach
Q. What do you enjoy about coaching?
A. The opportunities that each new season brings. Every year, we are all undefeated at the beginning of the season. You learn about success, failure, and adversity, and how to deal with those challenges in the correct way. I enjoy seeing every individual in a program growing mentally and physically through hard work and perseverance.
Q. What advice would you give to anyone considering becoming a football coach, or someone just starting out?
A. Look for opportunities to build relationships that can help you grow as a person and a mentor. It’s all about building individuals to go out in the world to be successful. Coaching is a mission.
Q. What life lessons does football teach?
A. Don’t take yourself too seriously. Treat everyone with respect and enjoy every second you are blessed to have.
Q. How has coaching football impacted your life?
A. Coaching has helped me understand the importance of relationships and dealing with adversity. I’ve been so blessed to be involved with football for 35 years. There have been so many coaches and players who have impacted my life. Also, the fact that two of my three children are in the coaching profession makes me feel so proud.
Q. What does strong leadership look like?
A. I’m learning every day on this subject. I think trust is a key component in leadership. Individuals need to see and feel you care about them. It’s not about you, it’s about the whole.
Photo by David and Drew Photography
Coach Erik Kimrey
Baylor School
20 Years as a Head Coach
Q. What are some of your most significant accomplishments during your years of coaching?
A. In 19 years of being a head coach in high school, my teams have played for 16 state championships and won 13. Also, the opportunity to coach in the SEC.
Q. What are some of the important lessons you’ve learned while coaching?
A. I believe the longer you coach the less you realize you know, and that relationships matter exponentially more than scheme. If you want to become a coach, make sure you are doing it because you love working with students and embracing the struggle of football together.
Q. What life lessons does football teach?
A. Football teaches young men to struggle well. Inevitably, life will bring suffering. Football teaches that what you are doing is more important than how you feel and participating in the struggle is the antidote to that suffering.
Q. How has coaching football impacted your life?
A. It gives me meaning and joy. I love the yearly reset and fresh challenges that a new season brings, and I love being on a team and the relationships established through the struggle of a shared pursuit.
Q. What does strong leadership look like?
A. A good leader has the ability to inspire a group of people to collectively achieve their highest “self”/potential.
Photo by Rich Smith
Coach Damon Floyd
Bradley Central High School
19 Years as a Head Coach
Q. What does strong leadership look like?
A. Leadership is sharing your vision and hopefully influencing others to join you in your purpose and passion. In any leadership role, people will get upset with some of your decisions. I have always made what I felt was the best decision for the program. You stand up for what you believe in, and it’s okay to admit when you make a mistake.
Q. How do you invest in your team and players, on and off the field?
A. We are very involved with our players. We want them to learn the characteristics to be successful in life. Our players are held accountable in all aspects of life, whether it be on or off the field. They represent their family, our school, and of course the football program. As Mike Tomlin says, “The standard is the standard.”
Q. What do you enjoy about coaching?
A. I enjoy going through highs and lows during the in/off-season, while building the team to achieve a common goal. I know it’s a coaching cliché, but there’s so much time and effort put into trying to make that happen. I enjoy all the planning and adapting that it requires. I feel coaching has held me accountable, and I have to practice what I preach. I really enjoy just being part of the team. It’s YOU versus US!
Q. What are some of your most significant accomplishments during your years of coaching?
A. Relationships with players. Our players know that we will always try to win no matter what the competition. Obviously, football is what we prepare for, but really it is life. We want our players to go and be good husbands, fathers, and employees. I enjoy seeing guys I coached later in life being the leaders and providers of their houses.