Lumpkin County High’s coaching staff will have a much different look next season, even though some of the names are familiar.

Dustin Allen, a three-year Indians assistant baseball coach, takes the head coaching position left open when Nicky Jenkins stepped down following the 2009 season. Allen previously served as the junior varsity head coach at Lumpkin County for two years, before taking on the role of solely a varsity assistant and working with the pitchers last year.

Allen inherits a program that made the state playoffs two out of the past three under Jenkins. “It’s really bittersweet for me,” Allen said. “Coach Jenkins did an outstanding here at Lumpkin County.”

Greg Murray, who coached Lumpkin County girls basketball from 2005-2007 is back after two years away from the school. He previously was at Lumpkin County for five years, and won 41 games in three years as a head coach.

Before returning to Lumpkin County, he served as an assistant at North Georgia College & State University in 2008, and Chattahoochee High last year.

Under former coach Jill Armstrong, the Lady Indians finished 13-38 the past two seasons. Murray hopes to jump into his new job teaching the fundamentals, while keeping the game fun for the kids.

“I’m going to try to beat the bushes and get the kids out to play basketball that should be,” Murray said.

The boys’ soccer program has a new coach with Radford Windham taking the helm upon the retirement of former coach Mark Franklin.

“Coach Windham has a strong soccer pedigree and will do a great job in continuing the strong tradition at Lumpkin County,” Indians athletics director Tommy Jones said. “In addition, he will serve as a great mentor and role model to the young men in the his program.”

Lumpkin County’s girls tennis program has a new coach, Ryan Trust, taking the place of Libbie Armstrong. Ashleigh Devries is Lumpkin County’s competitive cheerleading coach.