Harris County High School football coach retiring after four seasons leading the Tigers
Harris County High School head football coach Jamie Fox is retiring.
He plans to retire at the end of the school year in May.
“It has been such a great experience coaching football and teaching,” Fox said in the school district’s news release Friday. “I’ve recently been surprised to learn that I have the years needed to retire, and I might as well go out on a high note.”
In his four seasons as the head coach, the Tigers improved their record each year, going from 4-7 in 2018, to 5-6 in 2019, to 6-5 in 2020 to 7-5 in 2021.
This past season, they reached the second round of the Georgia High School Association Class 5A state playoffs after winning the program’s first road playoff game.
Fox also improved the program in his two seasons as head coach at Shaw. He led the Raiders to records of 3-7 in 2010 and 5-6 in 2011.
He came to HCHS as the offensive coordinator in 2012, helping the Tigers win their first region championship, host their first playoff game and win their first playoff game as they reached the third round.
HCHS has made it to the playoffs each of the last five years, which also is a first in the program’s history.
“Coach Fox has dedicated his career to serving student athletes to be better men, husbands and fathers,” HCHS principal Tyler Dunn said in the news release. “His dedication to the students has been a key to the success of the teams he has coached. He has done a great job mentoring students.”
After graduating from Columbus State University in 1995, Fox was an assistant football coach and head baseball coach at Spencer High School from 1995 to 2001.
He coached the same sports at Shaw High School. In 2006, he was promoted to offensive coordinator, helping the Raiders reached the state championship game before losing to Peach County. Fox was promoted to head football coach in 2010 and led the Raiders to the state playoffs in 2011.
“Coach Fox has dedicated a large portion of his life teaching student athletes how to be better people first and good ballplayers second,” HCHS athletics director Bryce Robinson said in the news release. “He is a high-character person that loves teaching and coaching. He will surely be missed at Harris County High School. The highest compliment I can pay him is that I am sad that my son will not get to play for him.”
Fox and his family reside in Cataula, Georgia. His wife, Denise, is an assistant principal in the district. Their two sons, Ryne and Nash, are student athletes at HCHS.
“I love this school, this program and my players,” Fox said. “Making this decision and announcement now provides the school as much time as possible for them to find a new coach while the options are the greatest.”
Asked for the HCHS process and timeline to hire Fox’s successor, district spokeswoman Rachel Crumbley told the Ledger-Enquirer in an email, “That is being discussed and planned.”
“Whoever is fortunate to become the next head coach here needs to understand and appreciate that this is a very special place,” Fox said. “They love their Tigers, they love their community, and they love each other. My family and I are blessed to be a part of Harris County. I may be retiring, but I look forward to continuing to watch our children compete here. We’ll be cheering for the Harris County Tigers now and forever.”
This story was originally published January 7, 2022 at 10:36 AM.
