A new head football coach is appointed at Hardaway High School
Hardaway High School announced Friday the appointment of its new head football coach.
Reginald Wedner has been promoted from special teams coordinator to replace Will Whilden, who resigned two weeks ago for what he called “personal reasons.”
“Coach Wedner brings a strong record of leadership and player development to the program,” the Muscogee County School District said in a news release. “Over the past two years, he has been an integral part of the Hawks’ coaching staff, demonstrating a deep commitment to the school’s athletes and football culture. His experience, dedication, and vision will position him well to guide the program into its next chapter.”
Whilden 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 seasons 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.
Background about Reginald “Reggie” Wedner
According to his resume and his interview with the Ledger-Enquirer, Wedner, 55, grew up in Columbus and graduated in 1988 from Shaw High School, where he played wide receiver and safety. He joined the U.S. Army after graduation.
After retiring from the Army as a sergeant first class with 20 years of service, Wedner started his coaching career with wide receivers at Lower Richland High School in Hopkins, South Carolina, from 2011-14.
Wedner moved back to the Columbus area in 2014 to help take care of his father. He was a middle school head coach and a varsity assistant in Crawford County from 2014-17, offensive coordinator and junior varsity head coach at Kendrick High School from 2017-21 and offensive coordinator at Blackmon Road Middle School in 2023.
He transferred in 2024 to Hardaway, coaching wide receivers and special teams while also working as a special-education co-teacher in science.
Wedner’s jobs outside of football include assistant shipping warehouse manager for Ben Arnold Beverage in Columbia, South Carolina from 2008-10, JROTC instructor at Kendrick High School from 2017-22, fleet manager for Griffin & Griffin Towing from 2022-23 and training technician at Fort Benning (then called Fort Moore) from 2023-24.
He earned a master’s degree in human resources development from Strayer University, a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Trident University and an associate’s degree in applied technology from Central Texas College.
New Hardaway football head coach’s priorities
After 14 years as an assistant football coach, Wedner is grateful for the chance to lead a high school program.
“I think I’ve paid my dues,” he told the Ledger-Enquirer. “It’s a blessing that I get an opportunity like this, … and I’m just anxious and ready to get going.”
With only “five or six” senior starters on this year’s team, Wedner insists next season’s Hawks will have talent closer to the 4-6 team in 2024 than the 1-9 team in 2025.
“We were in every game except for maybe two (in 2024,” he said. “We were on an upward spiral.”
Wedner plans to return the Hawks to a spread offense after this past season’s experiment with the wing-T was a struggle.
“Our kids weren’t picking it up as fast as they should have been,” he said.
As for the defense, Hardaway played multiple schemes last season, depending on the opponent. Wedner said he is open to options, but the decision will depend on the defensive coordinator Hardaway hires.
“I’m a 4-3 guy, but I hang my hat on the offensive side of the ball,” he said, “so whoever is the defensive coordinator, the scheme has got to fit our kids.”
The initial priority for Wedner, however, is to “get the team connected,” he said, “and that connection starts with me making sure that our players and coaches get to know each other, not just inside the building.”
That means team trips for activities such as bowling and fishing, as well as service projects like mentoring middle school students and collecting food for disadvantaged families, Wedner said.
“We’re going to be visible in the community,” he said. “Once that connection piece happens, then we’re going to focus on our DNA traits, which are going to be fire, passion and energy, and that’s how we’re going to attack every day.”
Asked how he would define a successful season next year, Wedner said, “I don’t want to base it off of wins and losses because I think that puts me kind of in a box. But I just want the guys that we coach in our program to be better when they leave, … better young men and prepared to be husbands and fathers when the time comes.
“I know this is a business with wins and losses, but I think if we … start off with connection and we play with fire, passion and energy, then I think all that will take care of itself.”
This story was originally published November 21, 2025 at 4:04 PM.
