Trojan head football coach Jason Strickland is leaving LCCHS. Strickland is expected to be named head coach at Fitzgerald High School tonight. Fitzgerald coach Robby Pruitt, one of the best in Georgia, left that program last month for Coffee County. His program suffered a blow last summer when a player died during training camp. The following is coverage of Pruitt’s resignation, courtesy of Tim Anderson and the Fitzgerald Herald-Leader: Fitzgerald High School Head Football Coach Robby Pruitt is taking over the head coaching reins of the Coffee High School Trojans football program beginning next week. The Ben Hill County Board of Education met Tuesday morning and one of its business items was to release Pruitt from his current contract. ’Region 1AAAAAA is probably the toughest high school region in the country,’ Pruitt said Monday. ‘It will be fun to see if we can compete. We will have our work cut out for us.’ The Georgia High School Association (GHSA) created a new 6A classification for the 2012-2014 seasons. Region 1 in that classification will have some of the traditional ‘big school’ football powerhouses. Coffee will compete against Lowndes Co., Valdosta, Colquitt Co., Tift Co., Brunswick and Camden Co. ’I have nothing but good things to say about Fitzgerald,’ Pruitt noted. ‘This is the closest to home that I know. In my 30 years of coaching, except for the one year in Warner Robins, we’ve been here the longest ‘” this is my third job. Fitzgerald is a lot like Union County (Pruitt’s previous coaching job in Florida). Fitzgerald is so tuned in to football. There is such broad support for the program and the players. There won’t be any problem finding a first-class coach. I would be surprised if they don’t get 50 or 100 applications. I’ve talked to several coaches who have called me and I don’t have anything but positive things to say.’ Coach Pruitt praised the facilities the community has provided for the program. ‘The fieldhouse, the weight room and all the work planned for the stadium are a coach’s dream.’ Asked about his fondest memories of his 11 seasons as the Head Cane, Pruitt said the first season was ‘magical.’ ‘Going to the Championship Game in 2000 was a great experience for all of us. Being able to play in the Georgia Dome twice was such a thrill for our players,’ he noted. Coach Pruitt and his wife Jill, a guidance counselor at Ben Hill Elementary School, did not come to Fitzgerald empty-handed. Their three sons ‘” Tyler, Tucker and Trenton ‘” were outstanding players, all three playing FHS football and then in college ‘” Tyler and Tucker played at Valdosta State and Trenton is currently at Vanderbilt. ‘Coaching my sons was probably a lot more fun for me than for them,’ Pruitt said. ‘It’s not easy being a coach’s son. But coaching them is one of those things we all enjoy more now, looking back on that experience.’ Pruitt’s overall record ‘”293-55-1, with a winning percentage of 84.1% ‘” nearly matches his FHS record of 120-21-1, with a nearly 85% overall winning record. Pruitt is the winningest coach in FHS history. Coach Pruitt commented Monday that he was saddened to be leaving his Sunday School class at First Baptist Church. The Sportsman’s Class, which Pruitt teaches, enjoys an attendance of 50 men many Sundays. ‘They are a great bunch of guys,’ he said. ‘I will miss them a lot.’
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