By Michael A. Lough

The Sports Report

centralgasports@gmail.com

The carousel is spinning at Westside at a record pace, the school now looking for two more head coaches.

Josh Grube, one of the winningest active Bibb County public school head coach of a team sport, is stepping down from the job he’s had for nearly 85 percent of his adult life.

“I’m done at Westside,” said the Seminoles’ long-time head boys basketball coach. “It’s time for me to explore some other opportunities.

“Hopefully explore some opportunities.”

He joins head girls basketball coach Candice Roberson, who spent much of the season on the fence pondering if it would be her last as the Seminoles head coach.

She confirmed to the Macon Melody after the season-ending playoff loss that it was, in fact, her finale as a coach.

Both jobs were posted this week on, among other locations, the Georgia Athletic Coaches Association jobs page.

Head football coach Spoon Risper announced last May that 2026 would be his last one leading the Seminoles, and he was finally replaced in mid-January by assistant coach James Harris. Spoon accepted the head football job and athletics director post at Macon County a month ago.

“It’s kinda weird how it worked out where everybody’s going at one time,” said Grube of a trio that combined for more than 50 years connected to Westside.

Long before the 2025-26 season developed into the worst in Grube’s career, he knew this was pretty much it.

“It’s something that honestly I’ve been thinking about the last two or three years,” the 46-year-old said. “I don’t even remember when it was. I just knew that it was (time). If I had to pinpoint it, I’d probably say like about halfway through the season.

“It ain’t just all because of basketball. A combination of stuff.”
That includes ending a daily commute from Bonaire, as well eventually entertaining the chance to coach his son Hayes, a fourth-grader at Bonaire Elementary.

“That’s my goal, to coach him at the high school level,” Grube said. “I know there’s a little time.”

Grube played quarterback at Warner Robins, then played baseball at Gordon College and Valdosta State.

“You know what’s crazy about it?” he said. “I didn’t grow up saying I wanted to be a head basketball coach.”

He was the assistant to then-head coach Joe Dupree, who was eventually named offensive coordinator by then-head coach Robert Davis. Dupree pushed Grube for the job, and he got it, while still teaching at Weaver Middle School.

As was Risper years earlier before making a varsity and head coaching move.

Grube departs with a 312-191 record, having won 62 percent of the time. The Seminoles won two region titles, having played in several classifications along the way, and played for 10 more.

Westside must also replace its only flag football head coach, and a wildly successful one.

Grube went 59-8 leading the team, with two Elite Eight trips and two Sweet 16 trips. This year’s team was undefeated, and then stunned in the first round of the playoffs, a loss that left Grube emotional in postgame interviews.

“I did, I did,” Grube said, admitting that it surprised him. “Maybe I knew then. Maybe I deep down inside knew that I was (leaving).”

Grube’s successor inherits an experienced team, with only three seniors on this year’s roster. One tug at Grube was possibly staying to finish the career of junior point guard Jalen Whitley, who he has coached for three years, among others.

But adding everything up, Grube’s mind was set, and has stayed set, even without anything lined up employment-wise..

“I’m sure that I’m doing the right thing,” he said. “I hope all that’s going to work itself out, but this is time.”

Just down the hall, the office of Roberson will be vacant as well. The girls basketball coach and the school’s athletics director is moving on, too.

“I’m just looking forward into getting started in leadership,” Roberson told the Melody after Westside’s 63-48 loss to Hart County in the first round of the playoffs. “The coaching is done, I think, after 20 years of it. Yeah, this is my last ride at Westside. Been here for 14 years. What better than a group of young girls like this to go out with.”

Westside sent out Roberson with a 23-6 final-season mark, and the first time the Seminoles have been the top seed entering the region tournament.

Roberson succeeded Deb Baber after the 2011-12 season, and has reached three Sweet 16s while missing the state postseason three times.

After an early February win over Pike County, Roberson wasn’t set yet, but was seriously leaning.

“I feel it,” she said then. “I just don’t feel like I’m straddling right now. I’m tired. And that’s not fair to (the team).”

Back to the future and Slocum for Mount de Sales

For the second time in a year or so, a Macon private school is reaching into its past.

Mount de Sales announced Thursday morning that longtime head coach Robert Slocum was coming out of retirement to lead the Cavaliers again.

He succeeds Gray Yates, who left Mount de Sales in January for a job in Memphis. Promoted from assistant, Yates went 2-9, 1-9, 3-8, and 2-8 in four seasons.

Keith Hatcher, now at ACE Charter, was 46-39 in eight seasons.

Slocum retired after going 3-8 in 2013, putting his 23-year record at exactly .500, 134-134-2, with two region titles and a state championship.

He took over for legendary Mike Garvin (161-80-5, 10 region and three state titles) to start the 1991 season, and went 4-8.

Two more losing seasons followed before his best run at Mount de Sales, four straight 10-win seasons and a 46-7 run that included a GISA Class AAA title in 1996.

After a stretch of seasons a win or two above or below .500, the Cavs broke out for a 10-2 mark in 2010, the season ending in their second playoff game.

He had nine winning and 13 losing seasons, and one .500.

The 1974 Mount de Sales graduate was part of state title teams in 1970, 1971, and 1973, moving on to a football scholarship at Savannah State.

He returned to his alma mater and coached track, tennis, baseball, and basketball as well as football.

Slocum was named athletics director in 1993, seven years before induction into the Macon Sports Hall of Fame.

Upon retirement two years after giving up football, he was named the school’s athletics director emeritus.

He joined the expanded staff of the GIAA in July of 2022 as athletic coordinator and commissioner of the Southeastern Commission of Independent schools, a collection of associations similar to the GIAA.