Montgomery introduced as new head football coach
The word ‘dream job’ may be casually thrown around in some settings.
But in the case of Justin Montgomery, it could not be more fitting.
A McIntyre native, whose career as an assistant coach has taken him to parts of central, south and west Georgia, Montgomery was introduced at last Tuesday’s Jones County School System Board of Education meeting.
Montgomery comes to Jones County from Carrollton, where he has been the defensive coordinator of a Trojans team with state runner-up finishes in two of the past three seasons in the 7A and 6A classifications. Now, he is back close to home, nearby to not just the place he grew up but where most of his family still lives.
“I am super excited. Just to be able to coach football at a premiere school close to my family, that’s a dream job for me,” Montgomery said. “(It means) family and excellence, being able to be 20 minutes from my family and being able to raise them 20 minutes from their cousins and their grandad.”
In fact, Montgomery even made a nod to those central Georgia roots after being introduced alongside his family.
“My father taught me how to work hard, and that’s what we’re going to do,” Montgomery said.
Montgomery’s hire came the week after the resignation of Mike Chastain was officially announced by the school. It also came less than a week after JCHS principal Dennis Woolfolk cited a need to make a hire soon.
That need was officially filled last Tuesday as Montgomery briefly addressed the board and attendees, joined by his family.
“Tough times don’t last, tough people do,” Montgomery said. “That’s exactly what we want to build, tough young men who value truth, ownership, unity, gratitude, honor and be prepared to be tough men.”
In Montgomery, the Greyhounds are bringing aboard a coach that has been around either programs or coaches synonymous with winning. In addition to Carrollton’s Joey King, Montgomery has coached under Barney Hester at Howard, Alan Rodemaker at Valdosta, JT Wall at John Milledge and Chastain at Warner Robins.
“I have only known Coach Montgomery a short time, and I can say that he is a man of respect, honor, hard work, gratitude and most of all, faith,” Woolfolk said.
His arrival to Gray will be a reunion of sorts. While at Howard in 2016 and 2017, Montgomery was on the same staff with current JCHS football assistant David Denson as well as head wrestling coach and former offensive assistant Adam Gillhouse, who he also coached with at John Milledge.
Now, he’ll begin the process of putting his own imprint on the purple and gold early on, one that began late last week in meeting with current players and assistant coaches.
“If anyone is hoping to know what kind of offensive and defensive scheme to expect, that desire will have to wait for now,” Montgomery said.
We’re going to see our personnel and make sure we’re maximizing the skill sets based on who we have. I can assure you that we’ll run to the football, tackle and play fundamentally sound. It’s players first, then techniques and then plays, so we’ll make sure we develop them holistically with the head, heart and hands.
