Don Kerley hired as new JCHS head football coach

Big changes are coming to Longhorn football this season. After 16 years as head coach Mike Atwood officially resigned last week setting in motion a mad dash to find a capable replacement. Thankfully fate seemed to be on Johnson County’s side as less than a week from the position’s posting school administrators had found a qualified candidate with a strong connection to the program.
“We posted the position on Thursday, and we actually had three applicants,” began JCHS Principal Lisa Arnold.  “Don Kerley was one of the three. When he applied we were really surprised, but pleasantly surprised. We interviewed him yesterday, he did a great job, and now he’s our choice.”
A quick look at Kerley’s background gives a little insight to why the system was so keen to pick him up. A 1989 graduate from Johnson County High School, Kerley was the team’s very successful quarterback under Coach Jim Crowder, has strong family ties to the team with 5 nephews as well as his son Sam hoping to be in the lineup, and has 20 years of coaching experience both locally and regionally.
Kerley played football at Wofford College in Spartanburg, SC, eventually got his Masters in Education at Milligan College and Specialist’s Degree at LMU, and got started with his coaching career at West Greene High School in Mosheim. From there he spent several years at different locations in Georgia including time as a coach for Claxton High School in the Savannah area of South Georgia.
Yet, when the call came that Johnson County was looking for a new head coach Kerley made up his mind and decided to head north. “We’re just excited to come home,” Kerley said. “I’ve been very fortunate to work for good programs, good schools, work for good people. It means a lot. The head coaching position is what prompted it. That’s just something that I was interested in doing again. We know a lot of people up here on the team. It’s just a good opportunity to come home and we want to take advantage of it.”

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