7-time state champion Georgia head coach leaves for job in South Carolina

Jonathan Gess coming off a state championship with Hebron Christian in 2024 has decided to head over to the Palmetto State

Colin Hubbard

One of Georgia high school football's top head coaches has decided to leave for a neighboring state.

Jonathan Gess, a 7-time state champion head coach, has left Hebron Christian (Georgia) to accept the same position at Southside Christian in South Carolina.

The school posted a press release via its website acknowledging the departure of Gess from the football program.

"The past three years at Hebron Christian Academy have been truly special, and I am deeply grateful for the incredible people I've met and the amazing opportunities I have experienced at HCA," Gess said in a statement. "However, the Lord is leading me to a new chapter, one centered on putting family first. After 18 years of coaching football in Georgia, I sense God calling me to prioritize my wife, Dee, and serve her as Christ loves the Church. While it's difficult to leave behind the success and community we've built, we feel called to return to South Carolina, a state where I grew up and we both attended college. We feel like God has called us to Southside Christian School in Greenville, South Carolina, and we look forward to what God has in store for us in this next chapter of our lives."

Last season, Gess guided the Lions to a 12-2 record and the GHSA's AA state championship in 56-28 rout of Prince Avenue Christian.

During his time at Hebron Christian, Gess compiled an overall record of 27-10. Gess has won seven state championships as a head coach and has a career mark of 187-49 over the course of 18 years.

---

More From High School On SI 

• Monarch (Florida) to face Archbishop Spalding (Maryland) & Don Bosco Prep (New Jersey) in 2025

• West Boca Raton (Florida) to face multiple national football powers in 2025

• Tim 'Ice' Harris changes course; Accepts football head coaching position at Mater Academy

• IMG Academy Has Begun Its Search for Billy Miller’s Replacement as Head Football Coach

---

Follow High School On SI throughout the 2024 high school football season for Live Updates, the most up to date Schedules & Scores and complete coverage from the preseason through the state championships!

Be sure to Bookmark High School on SI for all of the latest high school football news.

High School On SI will serve as the premier destination for high school sports fans, delivering unparalleled coverage of high school athletics nationwide through in-depth stories, recruiting coverage, rankings, highlights and much more. The launch of a dedicated high school experience expands Sports Illustrated’s reach to even more local communities as fans can now truly follow athletes from “preps to the pros” on a single platform, bringing them closer to the action than ever before. For more information, visit si.com/high-school.

Download the SBLive App

To get live updates on your phone - as well as follow your favorite teams and top games - you can download the SBLive Sports app: Download iPhone App| Download Android App

-- Andy Villamarzo | villamarzo@scorebooklive.com | @highschoolonsi