Coahulla Creek High School athletic director Chris Woods announced the hiring of Drew Carter as the next head football coach for the Colts.
Carter replaces Danny Wilson, who resigned in December after leading the program to a 7-4 record and the GHSA Class AAA playoffs this past season. It was the first postseason appearance for the Colts, who began varsity play in 2012.
Carter, a former quarterback at nearby Northwest Whitfield High School, was the Colts’ offensive coordinator for four years, including Wilson’s three-year tenure in Varnell as the program made significant progress. Carter’s offenses scored program highs of 217 points in 2021 and 314 this past season.
“We have the utmost confidence in his ability to continue the progress and positive direction of our football program,” Woods said of Carter in a statement released Thursday. “His experience and hard work have earned the respect of his fellow coaches and players.
“We are very excited about the future of Coahulla Creek football under his leadership.”
Carter was a four-year starter and an all-conference quarterback at LaGrange College, where he graduated in 2011 after setting 39 school records.
He later coached receivers at LaGrange as he earned a Master of Arts in Teaching in 2013. He then spent time in the high school ranks as an assistant coach at Villa Rica, Elbert County, Central-Carroll and Pepperell before going to Coahulla Creek in 2019.
Coahulla Creek quarterback Kace Kinnamon set school records in 2021 and again this past fall for total yards, amassing more than 2,700 in 2022. Kinnamon, who is a senior, credited Carter with his development.
“He’s the man,” Kinnamon said. “He’s the only person I’ve actually worked with one on one, and I’m so grateful I’ve had a role model like that. He knows his stuff and does a fantastic job.”
Contact Lindsey Young at lyoung@timesfreepress.com.
Updated with more information at 4:30 p.m. on Jan. 5, 2023.