Jeff Herron leaving Grayson after one season to coach in S.C.
Emily Beck
Published Apr 12, 2026
One of the most successful high school football coaches in Georgia is leaving the state.
Jeff Herron is leaving Grayson High School after one season to take the head coaching job at T.L. Hanna High School in Anderson, S.C. Herron coached in Georgia for 27 years, winning five state championships including one with Grayson (14-1) this past season. He is the only coach in Georgia to win state football titles at three different schools.
But this was an opportunity he just couldn't pass up.
"It certainly wasn't what I had intended to do," Herron told 11Alive. "I really felt like we were poised to win three or four in a row with the kids we have."
But last week, a friend of Herron's told him there was an opening in Anderson, close to where his 87-year-old father lives by himself and Carson-Newman, where his son goes to school. The school's Athletic Director is Tom Wilson, who had been at Carrollton, Buford and Marietta before going to T.L. Hanna. The school's principal, Shawn Tobin, also worked at Carrollton and other schools in Georgia. Herron said knowing their level of commitment to winning made the job even more appealing.
Herron met with them on Friday and accepted the job. He told his players on Tuesday that he was leaving. He will get to retire in Georgia while receiving a salary in South Carolina.
Besides the people, Herron said he was attracted to the school's outstanding facilities.
"They literally have the best weight room I've ever seen anywhere. I'm talking about Alabama, Auburn, anywhere," he said.
He said the biggest challenge he faces now is learning an entire state's football landscape with new opponents and unfamiliar faces.
It's like he's starting over.
"That's what my wife said. She said, 'It's like you're just starting over,' " Herron said. "And quite honestly, I felt pretty good about that because I'd like to see if we can go to a different state and do it again."
Regardless if Herron can accomplish what he did in Georgia, he said he intends this to be the last stop in his coaching career.
"I plan on this being the last one. I really do. That's easier said than done sometimes," he said. "I want to try and win some state championships there...I'm not ready to get out yet. I'll stay as many years as they'll have me."
It's a new beginning for Herron, but it's bittersweet after having coached in Georgia for so many years. He coached at Walton, Cedar Shoals, Wheeler, Oconee County, Camden County and Prince Avenue Christian before going to Grayson.
"It's all I know. Certainly have a lot of friends in the coaching profession, great fraternity," he said. "I will miss that."
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