By Michael A. Lough
The Sports Report
centralgasports@gmail.com

Ben Smith thought he was set to get an NCAA Division I college job as an assistant, and then one at a much bigger school.

He got neither, but he’s still moving on up.

The former Dublin standout and then coach posted on May 13 that he was leaving Baldwin, two days later sharing that he was headed to Class 6A Alpharetta.

That announcement came eight days before then-head coach Clay Crump posted on X that he was resigning at Alpharetta, eventually taking over at Gilmer.

Smith wrote that his record was 172-34 in seven years, split between Dublin and Baldwin.

He followed a stellar playing career at Dublin – which included a state title in 2006 - with an equally stellar career at Jacksonville, eventually earning a spot in that school’s hall of fame as well as having his jersey retired.

After playing overseas and then working as a basketball teacher in Jacksonville, he returned to his alma mater in April of 2019.

Four years later, he moved a little north to Baldwin.

Replacing him is Jimmy Fields, the school posted on social media Wednesday morning, with no background information.

Perry has a new baseball coach, and softball staff

Less than a month after losing its baseball coach to retirement, Perry has a new head baseball coach.

The school posted on social media in early June the hiring of T.J. Watson.

Another update to come soon. Send updates to centralgasports@gmail.com.

He spent last season as an assistant at Rome after four seasons head coach at Class 5A/6A Chapel Hill. The Allatoona grad played at Itawamba CC and West Georgia, and has coached at South Paulding as part of a 12-year career.

Perry posted on Wednesday its new softball staff, led by head coach Reagan Stella. Also the high school’s golf coach, she moves up in softball from Perry Middle.

Her dad Roger, who led the Warner Robins Little League softball team to national highs nearly two decades ago, including the 2009 World Series title, joins the staff, along with Greg Hammock and Reagan Hughes.

The 2025-26 carousel (New ‘year’ starts on July 1)

👉May 8: Perry picks experienced football assistant for basketball; other hoops moves (Westside, Wilkinson County)
👉May 8: Life began getting more difficult and crowded, and then Denny Bryant faced a health issue: “The good Lord is just telling me ..."
👉April 23: Wilkinson County announces football hire
👉April 16: BOOM! Mark Farriba joining Barney Hester's staff at Tattnall, bringing together Central Georgia football legends
👉 April 15: Winkles takes over at Upson-Lee (and brings his guitar); Gillhouse leaves Jones County wrestling; Dublin makes girls hoops move; Around Central Georgia (Windsor, Peach County)
👉🏼April 6: Coaching carousel: ACE taps veteran Greene; Gainous departs Perry; Dodge County's Hamilton retires; Around Central Georgia
👉🏼March 31: Coaching carousel: Peach County girls basketball, Dublin football, Twiggs County football, Mount de Sales basketball
👉🏼March 19: Upson-Lee has jobs, jobs, jobs open: Lockhart retires, Elder and Kirksey leaving for new gigs
👉🏼March 12: Moving on: Westside's Grube and Roberson; Moving back in: Mount de Sales' Slocum
👉🏼March 10: Job filled: Jasper County snags veteran Pinkins as new head football coach
👉🏼March 6: After years of waiting, Belflower gets the call to be head coach, taking over at Central Fellowship
👉🏼March 4: Job filled/help wanted: Central Fellowship taps ACE's Whetsel as new athletics director
👉🏼Feb. 20: Central Georgia carousel: Cummings returns to take over football at Southwest
👉🏼Feb. 12: From Macon to Montezuma, Risper lands at Macon County
👉🏼Feb. 6: More spinning of The Carousel: Washington County has a new head coach; Jasper County loses Henderson to East Jackson
👉🏼Feb. 5: Coaching Carousel: Mount de Sales' Yates moves back to Memphis in unique situation; Macon County makes another change
👉🏼Jan. 17: Westside has a new head football coach
👉🏼Jan. 14: Central Fellowship’s Walls stepping down from several jobs for one with the family business
👉🏼Jan. 14: Dupree leaving Southwest, his alma mater, after 13 years for top job at familiar McDonough
👉🏼Dec. 19: Familiar face - Jamoski Ward - to take over at Central
👉🏼Nov. 4: First HS football coaching casualty of 2025: Central's Laws on-field successes minimal, but off-field progress notable
👉🏼May 27: Westside’s Risper announces resignation after the 2025 season

Busy times at Upson-Lee

It’s been a busy spring and start to the summer at Upson-Lee, with a variety of changes coming to the athletics department, according to recent social media updates.

Thorough information was provided by the school system in the posts, and it has been edited.

Charlie Canady has taken over as athletics director, succeeding Chris Kirksey, who’s leaving for a football coaching job at an Alabama high school.

He’s a 1998 Upson-Lee grad who has worked in the school system for seven years, currently as the Criminal Justice / Forensic Investigations teacher in the CTAE Department.

Canady is relinquishing his duties as soccer coach.

A very familiar name is taking over the baseball program: Kalen Puckett.

The 2017 U-L grad was a multi-sport standout with all-region selections in baseball and football. He played baseball for dour years at Georgia State, earning his bachelor’s.

After getting his master’s from Valdosta, his coaching career started, and he has been a Knights assistant for six years.

He succeeds his old head coach, Eddie Peyton, who is a new associate athletics director.

The 2010 Upson-Lee grad played football and baseball for the Knights, continuing his baseball career at Brewton-Parker, where he served later as baseball coach before returning to Thomaston, leading the baseball program for seven years. U-L won 85 games and went to the playoffs four times, reaching two Sweet 16s.

Matt Norris is another new associate AD.

He’ll begin his 24th year at Upson-Lee in 2026-27. He has headed the English Department Head for the past eight years, also serving as social media director, athletics social media coordinator, and gameday coordinator and public address announcer for Upson-Lee football for the past 12 years.

He led the boys soccer team to a state runner-up finish in 2019.

Brady Puckett takes over soccer.

The 2020 U-L grad was a soccer standout from 2017-20, part of a major Knights run that included a Sweet 16 trip in 2017, a Final Four berth in 2018, and a state runner-up finish in 2019. He was also kicker on the football team.

He played soccer at and graduated from Piedmont, earning selections to the 2023 Collegiate Conference of the South All-Academic Team and All-Sportsmanship Team.

Gavin Burford is taking over cross country.

The 2019 Pike County grad ran at Brewton-Parker, and has coached at Pike County. He competes regularly in marathons.

Upson-Lee named alum Logan Winkles in April as the new head football coach, succeeding Justin Elder.

The system is breaking in new superintendent for 2026-27 as well.

On the court

FPD is in the market for a head girls hoops coach.

Doug Wasden resigned last month to take the same job at Ringgold High, just southeast of Chattanooga.

He took over in 2022-23, and went – according to info provided to MaxPreps – 19-9, 25-4, 15-12, and 17-12.

Wasden replaces Kassidy Gaylor, who left to become head coach at Bryan College, an NAIA program in Dayton, Tenn. …

Former Perry boys and Georgia College men’s head coach Mark Gainous is back on the court in Milledgeville, now on the GMC Prep middle school staff for basketball and football.

His wife Tasha, who was the Perry girls coach for a few season, returns to the staff and faculty at John Milledge.