The Marietta Daily Journal - Smith out as Pebblebrook coach

Pebblebrook officials, looking to ‘make a change for the program,’ chose earlier this month to not retain Randall Smith, left, as its football coach.
<Br>Staff photo by Samantha M. Shal

Pebblebrook officials, looking to ‘make a change for the program,’ chose earlier this month to not retain Randall Smith, left, as its football coach.
Staff photo by Samantha M. Shal

After four seasons at Pebblebrook, Randall Smith is no longer the Falcons’ football coach.

According to Doug Goodwin, communications specialist for the Cobb County School District, Smith remains employed at Pebblebrook as a teacher and soccer coach.

Smith did not return several calls for comment. When asked if Smith was relieved of his duties, Pebblebrook athletic director Kevin Locke said he couldn’t “confirm anything at this point.”

Locke then referred further comment to the school district.

When asked why Smith is no longer the coach, Goodwin said that Pebblebrook informed him that the school “wanted to make a change for the program.”

According to the listing of open head-coaching positions on the district website, the Pebblebrook position that belonged to Smith was posted Dec. 5. It is one of three football openings throughout the district, along with Harrison and Kennesaw Mountain.

According to Goodwin, a committee of “stakeholders, parents, booster club members and parents” will narrow down candidates for Pebblebrook principal Zinta Perkins to interview for the position.

Smith had a 17-23 record in four years at Pebblebrook, including a 4-6 finish this fall. The Falcons finished the 2011 season with a 4-3 record in Region 4AAAAA play, but they lost a tiebreaker with North Cobb and South Cobb for the fourth and final berth into the postseason.

In Smith’s four years, Pebblebrook finished better than .500 just once — 6-4 in 2009. Outside of Smith’s first season at Pebblebrook, the Falcons remained in contention for the postseason, only to come up one game short or lose a tiebreaker.

Not reflected in Smith’s final records is the quality of opposition that Pebblebrook faced every season. Each of the past two seasons, the Falcons faced off with perennial postseason contenders Chapel Hill, East Coweta and Lowndes.

Smith came to Pebblebrook in 2008, taking the reins after then-coach Mike Collins left for Chamblee. A former college player at Tennessee Tech, Smith was a longtime assistant coach, serving time at East Coweta and Troup before taking the Pebblebrook job.

Comments

(16)

PHS Alum

December 28, 2011

It will be interesting to see where PHS football program will look like next year. I hope it it is good, but I thought Coach Smith did a good job, the last two years we were one win away from going to the playoffs. Really its only two playoff spots availiable, because McEachern and Hillgrove will def take two...a lot of former teachers who were coaches are gone now....I know we didn't have the best facilities or money or all that...but we did have coaches who seemed to care....I never played...but I saw Coach Smith as one of them.

A parent

A lot of comments seem to come from individuals that do not have a direct relationship with the school. My son is on the football team and he is very excited about the change. In fact, most of the football team is excited about the change. A change in direction could involve the assistant coach having a different philosophy of the head coach. All in all, I hope the PHS falcons have a winning season and it will be interesting to reflect back on this article next year. On another note, stop playing the race card. Who cares that the former principal and formaer AD was black?! The current principal and AD is black! I have nothing really bad to say about Coach Smith. He is a great guy but if you want to find out if the decision was the right one, ask the students....

Communtiy Fan

January 03, 2012

This sounds like you dont have a direct relationship with the program at all. Some players see this as a second chance, a chance to get out of the dog house because with Smith they were probably lazy, skipped practice or didnt go to class. Smith made sure that if a player did not do his job in the class room there was NO room for him on the field. Everyone wanted to see a different offense and everyone on the outside looking in wants to see the long ball.The community did not even support the guys that were out there on Fridays who were making a difference on the field. This community only wants to be given something instead of building something. Bunch of individual glory seekers.

A PHS Player

March 07, 2012

Ok , to stop all the bad talking, Coach Smith did a good job but not good anough. So all and all Coach Macon and the team will prove the whole Cobb County that we will be a top countender. Watch us

aunabby

December 25, 2011

It is not the coach. What you don't know is that the players are very self-absorbed. It's all about how their stats are looking, it is not about the team. Once they learn to become a team then winning will come. Any coach can come and ATTEMPT to lead them into a winning season, but they will fail. Its all up to the players if they want to let go of their egos and win. I am not on the outside looking in. I actually attend Pebblebrook and observed this for myself. Break their egos, you might have a chance.

Sad for true Falcons

December 21, 2011

The firing of Coach Smith smells to high heaven.

"Change of direction", or is it micro-managing a head coach who had a vision to improve the school and then gets it done! A look needs to go deeper than just football. In the last two years there have been 8 changes in "head coaching" positions. Most because they wanted to go to another school, I wonder why?

Word is today, an assistant was named the head coach. What happened to the "change of direction"? What happened to the "committee of stakeholders"? How many candidates were really interviewed? Coach Smith did not deserve this treatment and moreso, the Pebblebrook community and athletes deserve more. So much for the athletic program at Pebblebrook.

What do you want

December 20, 2011

Why is the AD directing this simple question to the CCSD communication specialist? Saying he “confirm anything at this point.”....NEWSFLASH...this story was printed on December 16th!...Smith position was posted on December 5th?!?!, what kind of confirmation does he need...is he really the AD. And that bogus answer he gave the county to share about why Smith wasn't there anymore....... a committeee of "stakeholders, parents, booster club members and parents" will get together....hmmmm....lets see that sounds like the same group of people, my goodness...he mentioned parents twice, booster club members (AKA parents), and stakeholders (AKA parents).....sounds like a bunch of jargon...get it together PHS....what do you want

I am in total shocked that Coach Smith is no longer the head football coach at Pebblebrook. @Grass isn't greener, you're right...who has ever heard of a head football coach also taking time to be the head soccer coach. Lets not forget he took the boys soccer team into the playoffs his first year. As coaches, we all know the stipends are not that great compared to the time you put in coaching. Coach Smith, deserved far more than this, he created opportunities for those students and truly cared about them. The fact that he is not an African American is comical, especially because he was brought in by an female African American principal and a male AFrican American Athletic Director. So PHS, what do you want?...a coach who contributed to getting students involved in two sports while, doing the best with what he had or someone who can just hold the position(s), don't forget about soccer. The MDJ, got this one right, Coach Smith record isn't at the top of the charts, but he was moving in the right direction. His out of region schedule, playing the likes of Lowndes and East Coweta were probably not going to get him wins, but it exposed his players to top notch programs so they could see where they need to go....hmmmm sounds like this guy saw the big picutre....so...what do you want?

Just a Fan

December 19, 2011

Just get in the tournament.. It has been a while..

Community Fan

Should someone loose their job because they have not been to the "tournament"? How about getting with the parents who transfer their players and ask them to stay? And give any coach something to work with.

I agree that the adminstration blew it.Its a shame that this community could not see that in the past four years this man took a program and made it relevant.Spent coutless hours contacting schools for elgible players to go on to the next level. I agree with the other poster(s), if the coach is not an african american he will not be accepted in the Mableton/Austell community which is crazy. This is not just a problem at the High School it goes all the way down to recreational and middle school ball. Too many in the community are about self than about all, and are quick to say "it's about the kids". THATS THE MOST ILL USED PHRASE in the community. Coach Smith was for the kids, for the community and bled Navy Blue. Good Luck Coach Smith. And to any coach that is hired Good Luck in being accepted.

Not Again

December 17, 2011

Perhaps the parents and fans of Pebblebrook will learn like the Campbell parents did this year. It isn't the Coach. I am tired of parents blaming coaches for the lack of talent and support at these South Cobb schools. If you don't have players in all sports going the extra mile from a very early age and this includes camps, lessons, travel teams where applicable, you will not be competing with the rest of the region.

youblewit

Pebblebrook, you just made a huge mistake. Randall Smith gave us all at that place and you actually think you'll find someone better then him? Your football program is about to go into a tailspin, I assure you. The next guy won't be able to devote near enough time and energy to the program and team. And by the way, it's not exactly an enticing job. To the AD and principal? You really blew it.

Grass isn't greener-

December 16, 2011

Good luck trying to find someone that will do as good a job & do as much for Pebblebrook as Coach Smith did. Who has ever heard of a HEAD Football coach being the Head Soccer coach also? Pebblebrook is already "handcuffed" with numbers because they have to count the Perf. Art. students in their enrollment & those students don't participate in football. He's been playing a AAAAA schedule with AAAA numbers. What can the administration use to attract someone to come there now? Administration made a HUGE mistake on this one. Good luck to Coach Smith - he's leaving the program better than he found it. He deserves better than he got.

Pebblebrook Parent

The Performing Arts kids only number between 250 and 300 at Pebblebrook and many of those students are actaully area districted kids - so that is not the problem. coach Smith has been a GREAT influence on the football program at Pebblebrook. I remember him watering and mowing the fields HIMSELF trying to get them into good playing condition BEFORE the turf was put in. He doesn't have parents and boosters that he can depend on. My guess is that they will put a coach in of another race who will hopefully be successful. It seems that is how they handle issues like this at that school...

Smith Supporter

Coach Smith had 4 different Athletic Directors. One for every year he has been there. Parents need to see a larger goal. Your child being a student athlete going to the next level, not an athlete with a state championship with a minimum wage job after graduation.Harrison, Kennesaw Mountain and any other school will do themselves well if they can get this man as a coach!!!!

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