Shane Cauthorn understands the mission.
The next Ridgeland High School head football coach, who was introduced to the school Tuesday morning, is charged with turning around a once-proud program that has produced just five wins against 53 losses since 2020.
The last four years were guided by former player Craig Pritchett, who produced a 3-37 mark. The Panthers haven’t won a playoff game since 2018, which was part of a run that saw the team reach the playoffs in 12 of 14 seasons.
Cauthorn, a longtime assistant coach — both in football and baseball — who has coached at several Northwest Georgia schools in the last two decades, is taking what he’s learned under coaches such as former Ridgeland coach Mark Mariakis, Tom Weathers at Dade County, Chad Fisher and Paul Ellis at LaFayette and Josh Groce at Gordon Lee to chart a path back to respectability.
“Great moments come from great opportunities and this one is a great one for me,” said Cauthorn, who was on the staff at Saddle Ridge Middle School in Walker County this year. “Our goal — from academics to football to conditioning and just being a better person — is we want to get better one percent every day in all those areas.