Lawrence County, Hazlehurst and Copiah Academy are in unsuspected hunts for new head football coaches as their football players start to prepare for the upcoming spring football practices.

Coach Herbert Davis of Lawrence County, Coach Randel Montgomery of Hazlehurst and Coach Scotty Cline of Copiah Academy have departed from their school head coaching positions and are moving on to better opportunities elsewhere.

Herbert Davis,  entered into his first season as head coach for LCHS and helped guide the Cougars to a 4-7 record in their rebuilding year last season.

After one season, Davis has elected to step away, when Madison-Ridgeland Academy provided him a better opportunity.

“This was a fortunate opportunity for me and my family to move on,” said Davis. “It was a very hard decision to make to leave Lawrence County after one year, but I could not pass up the opportunity.

“Lawrence County has a very talented and young football team with great sportsmanship attitudes,” continued Davis. “Hopefully, I have turned their program in the right direction for their new coach.”

Davis was introduced as MRA’s new football coach. He replaces Forrest Williams, who resigned a week ago to pursue what he referred to as “another opportunity” after three seasons with the Patriots.

He’s taken four different schools (Winston Academy, Brookhaven Academy, Pillow Academy and Heritage Academy) to state championship games and claimed three titles (Brookhaven Academy 1993, 2009 and Pillow Academy 1997). In 2011, he was the offensive coordinator at Ocean Springs High School, which went 9-3 that season.

Randel Montgomery,  has been head coach of the Hazlehurst Indians the last three seasons, helping the school earn its second 3A State Championship back in 2012. He amassed a 43-4 record in his three years at Hazlehurst, including three trips to the 3A State Title game, where he was 1-2.

This past Tuesday, Montgomery accepted a new head football coach job with Columbus High School.

“This was a great opportunity,” said Montgomery. “The Hazlehurst community has been great to me and my family, but I could not past up this huge opportunity.

“I am looking forward to this new and exciting challenge in the move up to Class 6A,” stated Montgomery.

Scotty Clinic,  has stepped down as head football coach for the Copiah Academy Colonels after 11 seasons at the helm.

Cline’s Colonels finished 2-9 last season and were 1-4 in division play. Cline plans to finish the year as the school’s athletic director. Coach Cline was unavailable at press time for comment.