PRUITT TO COFFEE: Former Fitzgerald coach leaves for Region 1-6A

The Coffee Trojans have officially filled their head coaching vacancy, as Fitzgerald’s Robby Pruitt will be taking over the Trojan program. Awaiting Pruitt will be what is now considered one of the most competitive football regions in the nation: Region 1-AAAAAA. Opposing Coffee in the region are traditional rivals Valdosta, Lowndes, Tift and Colquitt along with newcomer Camden County. Each school boasts winning tradition, rabid fanbases, top-notch facilities and successful head coaches.

At Fitzgerald, Pruitt was 120-21-1 in 11 seasons (according to GHSFHA.org) between 2000 and 2011. Pruitt was head coach at Warner Robins in 2003 where he went 6-4 before heading back to coach the Purple Hurricanes the following season. The Canes won seven region titles under Pruitt while also making the postseason in all 11 seasons. While FHS did not win a state title under Pruitt, the program made the state finals once (2000) and the semifinals four times. Prior to the Fitzgerald gig, Pruitt coached in Florida.

At Coffee, Pruitt will replace Ken Eldridge who went 21-24 in four seasons at the helm. Eldridge’s teams made the playoffs three times, including a quarterfinals berth in 2008. In 2011, the Trojans defeated Valdosta and Tift to finish 2-2 in Region 1 and 5-6 overall. Coffee was eliminated from the postseason in a 30-22 first round loss to M.L. King.

Pruitt’s Purple Hurricanes were 2-0 against Eldridge’s Trojans with the games coming in the past two seasons.

According to Shine Rankin of the South Georgia Sports Network, Pruitt will likely bring four assistants with him, including FHS AD and offensive coordinator Buddy Nobles and defensive coordinator Buddy Garrett.

In a phone interview, Nobles confirmed the hiring of Pruitt at Coffee, but could not confirm if he or any other Fitzgerald assistants would be leaving with Pruitt. Nobles was also not sure at what point in this school year Pruitt would leave for Coffee.

In other coaching news, former Tift County coach Jay Walls has been hired as head coach at Navarre (Fla.). Walls was 44-34 in seven years at Tift County, where he resigned in November. Since, The Blue Devils hired former East Paulding head coach John Reid.