Manchester High’s successful football coach removed from role
Manchester High School is in the market for a new football coach.
Evan Hochstetler, who just wrapped up his fifth season at the school, will not be the Blue Devils’ coach next season, he confirmed to the L-E Thursday morning. Hochstetler said the team was informed on Dec. 12.
Hochstetler said he was told “that I would not be the head coach next year since they (the administration) wanted to go in a different direction.”
Hochstetler said he will continue to teach at Manchester.
Hochstetler spent three years as the offensive coordinator at Bowdon prior to accepting his first head coaching role at Manchester. His father, Dwight Hochstetler, racked up 345 wins and is one of only 13 coaches to win 300-plus games in the state of Georgia.
The Blue Devils went 10-3 in 2019, beat 1A public state championship runner-up Marion County 43-14 and lost in the state tournament to eventual champion Irwin County.
The Blue Devils made the quarterfinals of the state football playoffs in three of Hochstetler’s five seasons at the helm. In four of Hochstetler’s five seasons, the Blue Devils never lost more than one region game.
Hochstetler compiled a 45-15 overall record at Manchester — a win percentage of 75%. His 45 wins are the fourth-most all-time at Manchester, according to the Georgia High School Football Historians’ Association.
“I think the administration at Manchester wanted to go in a different direction,” Hochstetler said. “And vice versa.”
Manchester will compete in GHSA region 5-1A for the 2020 and 2021 seasons, according to a job posting. The school is currently accepting applications.
According to the job description, the successful candidate “must be committed to the personal development of each player on the roster. This includes successful academic support for student-athletes, maintaining a strong pathway for the feeder middle school program and community youth development opportunities in support of athletes expected to serve as a role model without sacrificing integrity and professional ethics.”
Manchester athletic director Kelvin Smith did not immediately respond to request for comment.
This is a breaking story and will be updated as more info becomes available.
This story was originally published December 26, 2019 at 2:18 PM.
