Hardaway High School head football coach Will Whilden answers why he resigned
Hardaway High School head football coach Will Whilden has resigned, the Muscogee County School District announced Friday.
“Coach Whilden has been a valued member of the Hardaway family,” Hardaway principal Maurdrice McNeill said in the news release. “His leadership, integrity and commitment to our students have made a meaningful difference in our football program and in the lives of many young athletes. We are grateful for his service and wish him the very best in his future endeavors.”
Whilden said in the news release, “It has been an honor to coach at Hardaway High School. I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished together, and I’m especially proud of the young men who’ve represented this program with pride and heart. I will always be a supporter of Hardaway football.”
The reason for the resignation and who is in charge of Hardaway’s football program weren’t mentioned in the news release. Whilden, however, answered those questions in a phone interview with the Ledger-Enquirer.
Whilden said he resigned for “personal reasons” and the decision was his alone. He declined to be specific, but he said the reasons aren’t related to the program or the school.
“I can’t speak highly enough about my administration and how supportive they are,” he said. “… It’s just time for me to move on.”
But he remains as a social studies teacher at Hardaway and intends to continue, Whilden said.
As for who is in charge of the Hardaway football program now, Whilden said nobody has been appointed as interim head coach.
“It’s just more of a group effort,” he said.
This was Whilden’s first time as a head football coach. He was promoted in February from offensive coordinator at Hardaway after Ryan McKenzie left to become head coach at Pelham High School.
The Hawks went 4-6 in the last of McKenzie’s two season at Hardaway, but they fell to 1-9 this year under Whilden. They haven’t qualified for the state playoffs since a four-season stretch from 2018-21, all ending with first-round losses. It’s been 27 years since a Hardaway football team won a state playoff game.
This story was originally published November 7, 2025 at 1:27 PM.
