Rabun county hires former state champion head coach Bill Stewart as DC

Former Etowah and North Gwinnett head coach Bill Stewart has taken the defensive coordinator position at Rabun County under new head coach Rance Gillespie.

Stewart has spent the last two seasons on Brent Key’s staff at Georgia Tech as linebackers coach, helping the Yellow Jackets reach back-to-back bowl games. Before that, he held head coaching positions at Etowah and North Gwinnett. As a head coach, he amassed a 101-45 record, won seven region titles, and most notably won the 2017 7A state championship at North Gwinnett, defeating Colquitt County in a thrilling 19-17 victory.

Behind-the-scenes reports suggest that Stewart wanted to return to the high school ranks. He was reportedly a finalist for the Brookwood job before the Broncos ultimately chose Chad Nighbert.

He now joins a Rabun County program hungry for success. The Wildcats have had a turbulent offseason, with accusations that the program forced former head coach Michael Davis into retirement.

Rabun County saw its streak of nine straight quarterfinal appearances end last season. The team went 6-5 and lost in the first round to Fitzgerald. The program is known for its explosive offense, with standout players like Charlie Woerner, Gunnar Stockton, and Jaden Gibson coming through in the past decade. Stockton and Gibson, in particular, set nearly every possible passing and receiving record as a duo.

While the program is recognized for its offense, its defense has been just as dominant. Last season was the only time in the past decade that Rabun County allowed more than 20 points per game. In two of those seasons, the defense surrendered fewer than 10 points per game. However, last year was a departure from that standard, with the defense allowing at least 28 points in all of its losses, including 34 or more in three of them.

During Stewart’s tenure as a head coach, his defenses were elite, allowing more than 20 points per game only twice in 12 seasons, all at the state’s highest classification. He also coached multiple standout defensive players, including Jared Ivey and Barrett Carter, both of whom are expected to be selected in this year’s NFL Draft.