Coaching Carousel: Washington County basketball, Wilkinson County football, Dodge County basketball and football
The most coverage of Central Georgia HS sports is here. Read, enjoy, share, tell a friend
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The most coverage of Central Georgia HS sports is here. Read, enjoy, share, tell a friend 〰️
By Michael A. Lough
The Sports Report
centralgasports@gmail.com
After years of stability with the boys basketball program, Washington County has undergone a little bit of the opposite.
But some stability may have returned to the program with the appointment in April of Brandon Biggins as the new head boys basketball coach.
He replaces former NBA player Greg Minor, who spent less than a full year coaching at his alma mater before resigning in March after a 14-13 season. Minor took over for Carlos Hope, who left after a successful run of 17 seasons – 15 playoff trips - to take the head boys coaching job at Dublin.
Biggins is a 2009 graduate of Washington County, where he played basketball all four years. He graduated from Georgia Southern in 2015, and promptly joined Hope’s staff in Sandersville for the 2015-16 season.
The Golden Hawks had six winning and two losing seasons with Biggins on Hope’s staff, with five region titles and four Elite Eight trips.
Wilkinson County snags Baldwin’s Ward
The Terrell Holt Era at Wilkinson County was short, but successful.
Now, Wilkinson County’s fourth head coach in less than a decade will try to build on it.
The school announced Jamoski Ward on Wednesday as its new head coach.
June 7: New basketball bosses at Washington County and Dodge County, football at Wilkinson County
May 10: Coaching carousel: After two decades, several state titles, Trieste retires from FPD; Lane back in CGA, at Trinity Christian; Warner Robins football
May 6: Coaches Carousel: From Warner Robins to Veterans, Tracy Fendley back on bench; FPD veteran Spear leaving softball; Roundup: Jones County, Perry, Dodge County
May 4: Fitzpatrick/Stratford softball, Brian Brown/Dublin baseball, around the area (John Milledge softball, Belflower/Tattnall, Greene/Stratford)
May 2: Dickey back on bench at Brentwood; Bleckley County plucks from Dublin, Warner Robins; Houston County's new head girls hoops coach
April 22: Tattnall girls basketball, Twiggs County football, Veterans girls basketball
April 10: Jones County announces new head basketball coaches
March 26: From Stratford to Piedmont, from Jones County to Northside (times 2), Danny Camp and ChoRhonda and Buck Harris moving
March 2: Macon County hires a familiar face
Feb. 16: Howard has a new head football coach who has been well tested on high school and college levels
Feb. 8: GMC promotes from within
Jan. 10: Baldwin goes just down the road for its newest head football coach, who has a winning background as a player and coach
Jan. 4: Paul Carroll is on the move, but not far, leaving Howard and taking over at Stratford
Ward had been at Baldwin since 2017, as the Braves’ offensive coordinator and assistant head coach, helping the program to seven straight playoff trips.
He spent several seasons at Central as a varsity assistant and JV head coach, after a few seasons at Dougherty from 2010-12, focused on the passing game and quarterbacks.
He graduated from Albany High and Albany State.
Holt was promoted last July to succeed Keldrick Burke, who left in mid-summer to become principal at East Laurens. Holt was bumped up as interim head coach, and will remain on the staff at Wilkinson County.
Dodge County adds football assistants
Head coach Phillip Brown has been on the job since January, and is rounding out his staff in time for summer.
Offensive coordinator is Montez Shipman, who spent last season at Class 5A Demopolis High, south of Tuscaloosa, Ala. near the Mississippi border.
He taught history and also coached girls basketball last year.
Joe Porter is the new quarterbacks coach and director of operations. The Florida native comes from Mulberry High near Tampa.
Assistant head coach and defensive coordinator Stefond Davis will coach the secondary. He spent 2023 at Valdosta, after a season at Abbeville, Ala., in the same roles as well as head baseball coach. He graduated from West Alabama.
And has a new head boys basketball coach
Dodge County’s board approved Pete Ranson on Monday night as the latest head boys basketball coach.
He succeeds Cedric Jordan, who stepped away from basketball after two seasons but will remain on the football staff. His son William signed in April to play basketball at Middle Georgia State.
Ranson has spent the last two seasons as an assistant at Westside, helping the Seminoles to a 38-19 record in Class 4A.
The New Orleans native was on the Mercer women’s staff from 1996-2001, and was head girls coach at Windsor and at Wesleyan before entering business. He owned the Johnny’s Pizza in Macon for 17 years and in Warner Robins for 12, and was a volunteer coach at Northside, Northeast, Stratford, and Tattnall before returning to coaching.
He has a Bachelor’s from Southern Mississippi and Master’s from Mercer.