The coaching changes in Region 7-AAA continue.
After two years coaching the Lady Knights basketball team at Johnson High, Michael Youngblood is leaving the school to coach the Oconee County boys next year.
“I wanted to go where I felt I was best suited,” he added. “It’s a great fit and a great situation.”
Youngblood’s departure means Johnson joins North Hall as the Region 7-AAA schools that do not have a head coach for the girls varsity basketball team. Flowery Branch filled its varsity girls head coaching position with the hiring of Hazel Hall on April 2.
While Youngblood admitted that his decision was difficult, his tenure at Johnson ended positively.
“Oconee made contact with me,” he said. “The administration at Johnson High School has been very supportive, even through our tough season, and I couldn’t ask for anything better.”
Johnson’s athletic director, Stan Williams, knows it will be difficult to replace Youngblood, especially this late in the school year.
"Micheal (Youngblood) came in and did an outstanding job for us," Williams said on Tuesday. "We're going to try and find someone like him like him.
"It's going to be difficult this late in the game with summer camps happening soon," he added. "But we're going to find a candidate that will be able to take over from where (Youngblood) left off."
Williams hopes to have a new head coach hired within a "couple of weeks."
Oconee County is a member of Region 8-AAA with Stephens County, Hart County, Franklin County, Elbert County, Apalachee and Monroe Area. The Warriors are coming off a 14-14 season in which they made the state playoffs for the fourth consecutive year.
Youngblood was the head coach of the Lady Knights for two years and had a record of 11-31, including a trip to the state playoffs in 2006-07.