Harris County’s new football coach is someone who turned around 0-10 team
Harris County High School’s new head football coach is Tommy Watson, who resigned from Lambert High School.
The Harris County School District board unanimously approved the administration’s recommendation during its called meeting Thursday night.
Watson has an overall record of 35-47 in eight seasons as a head football coach at two high schools in Georgia: Class 7A Lambert, where he went 12-9 the past two seasons, and Class 3A Upson-Lee, where he went 23-38 from 2008-13. Between those stints, he was an assistant coach at Class 7A Lowndes and Valdosta.
Watson takes command of the Class 5A program from Jamie Fox, who announced last month he plans to retire at the end of the school year.
In Fox’s 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.
Watson improved Lambert’s program during his two years as the head coach
Lambert went 0-10 in 2019 before Watson arrived, then 5-5 in 2020 and 7-4 in 2021, including a loss in the first round of the state playoffs.
Upson-Lee’s record declined under Watson. After having winning seasons in eight of the previous nine years before his arrival, Upson-Lee then had one winning season in Watson’s six years as the head coach.
A native of Thomaston, Ga., and a graduate of Upson-Lee High School, Watson said coaching in Harris County will allow him and his family to live closer to relatives.
“My family and I are beyond excited to join the Tiger Family,” Watson said in HCSD’s news release. “We are looking forward to building relationships and developing a championship football program.”
HCHS principal Lindie Snyder, who was appointed Tuesday as the first female principal in the school’s 67-year history, explained why Watson was selected as the head football coach.
“Coach Watson brings to us a wealth of knowledge and experience,” she said in the news release. “He has been a part of championship teams and knows what it takes to continue our winning trend and take our program to the next level. His passion and enthusiasm for working with young people through the game of football is contagious. And he has a desire to build a program that involves the entire community, which is important to the people of Harris County. We hope everyone gives the Watson family a warm Harris County welcome.”
This story was originally published February 19, 2022 at 6:50 PM.
