Valdosta High, nation’s winningest football program, will not renew contract of head coach
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Valdosta High School, which has the nation’s winningest football program, will not be welcoming back its head coach for next season.
Valdosta dropped a 57-15 decision to crosstown rival Lowndes last weekend. Wildcats coach Rick Tomberlin was told late Tuesday his contract would not be renewed for the 2010 season by Valdosta City Schools Superintendent Bill Cason, according to the Valdosta Daily Times.
“I’m in shock,” Tomberlin told the Valdosta newspaper. “I did everything I could do here. I’ve never worked harder in my life. I haven’t missed many days of school. I’ve made some wonderful friends here. A lot of people have been very kind to me. I think I’m leaving (the program) a lot better than it was when I got here.”
Tomberlin was given the option of resigning immediately or finishing out the season. He has decided to stay on with the Wildcats, who are 4-3 and still have a chance of earning a berth in the Class AAAAA playoffs. Tomberlin’s dismissal still must go through several other steps, including a vote by the board of education. However, the rest of the process is considered to be a mere formality.
“I want to finish the season … I don’t want to quit on my kids. I owe it to them, and love them, and I want to see them through whatever happens, whether it’s the end of the regular season, or the end of the playoffs, whether it’s three games, five games, eight games, whatever the case may be,” Tomberlin told the Valdosta paper.
“I’m really going to work hard these next three games. Nothing’s going to change. I’m going to help these kids all I can with scholarships and colleges.”
Tomberlin is 19-20 at Valdosta, including a 1-9 mark in his first season at the school in 2006. Tomberlin was hired away from Washington County, where he coached for 14 years and won three state championships.
Since 1913, Valdosta has won six mythical national championships and 23 state championships. The Wildcats have an overall record of 838 wins, 191 losses and 34 ties.
So what do YOU think? Did Valdosta pull the trigger too soon on Tomberlin? Or do you think he had already been given a fair chance to prove his value?
And will Valdosta — which won its last state championship in 1998 — ever be able to return to its glory days?
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245 comments Add your comment
Michael
October 14th, 2009
3:50 pm
The VHS supporters need to get out of the 60s and 70s and realize times are different and be happy. The fact this Tomberlin, a proven winner and arguably one of the top coaches in the state, is having trouble there should be a signal. Good luck on getting another coach. Valdosta is quickly turning in to the Oakland Raiders of Georgia High School football.
#1 Viking Fan
October 14th, 2009
3:54 pm
TO ENR…….. your eagles don’t own nothing OF 1-AAAAA. How many 1-AAAAA Titles do they own. NOT THE FIRST ONE YET.
AVikingFan
October 14th, 2009
3:55 pm
EAGLENATIONRISING – HI THERE FRIEND. I GOT MY INFORMATION FROM THE ATHLETIC BUSINESS MANAGER WHO DOES THE FTE AND ELIGIBILITY ROSTER REPORTING TO THE STATE FOR LOWNDES COUNTY ATHLETICS. BTW WAY, IT HAS BEEN “RUMORED” THAT RICK TOMBERLIN WAS PAID A TOTAL OF $107,000 – COUNTING HIS STATE AND LOCAL SUPPLEMENT MONEY.
NHS Eagle Fan
October 14th, 2009
4:04 pm
ENR…you must have been watching a different VHS-NHS game than I did in 2008. Valdosta scored two TDs in the last 4:30 of the game…hardly the mark of someone who quit. Northside had to recover an onside kick to preserve the win.
Haiku-575
October 14th, 2009
4:06 pm
Hey Fake Buck Belue:
You write as bad as you sound
on the radio!!
BigDaddy
October 14th, 2009
4:07 pm
Higher Coach Welton Coffee away from Camden Co. He would be the best fit for VHS!!
heartofdarkness
October 14th, 2009
4:12 pm
Come on, people! Let’s raise the player salaries and exercise a little “creativity” on the boy’s birth certificates and high school transcripts. Matters will take care of themselves.
Wednesday Afternoon Quarterback
October 14th, 2009
4:14 pm
I think Valdosta should hire Coach Mark Whitley (Athletic Director at Parkview High School). Great motivator, great strength and conditioning coach, and great all-around person. What do you think?
EagleNationRising
October 14th, 2009
4:20 pm
NHS Eagle Fan: You obviously were not at the football game. Conrad nix was up 28-0 and he ALWAYS plays young kids. Valdosta scored two touchdowns in the final 4:30 playing against Freshman and Sophomores. The game was very tight. The Valdosta QB threw an interception and did not even run to tackle the Northside player. He hung his head, walked to the sidelines, and the route was on. That Valdosta team was every bit as big and fast as Northside. The game was close. The Wildcat players quit.
You better believe that you give up 57 points in a City championship game, you quit. Valdosta outplayed us (Northside) at Bazemore-Hyder this season. They simply did not put together what it took to win. The same Northside team held Lowndes County to 7 points. Now, the Valdosta team who outplayed Northside gives up 57.
Either the kids are quitting or the players from Valdosta were not prepared for the game against their cross-town rivals. I say they quit and that is the responsibility of the coaching staff.
EagleNationRising
October 14th, 2009
4:22 pm
AVikingFan: Thank you for the salary information. $107,000/year is a great deal of cash to go below 0.500. Wow!
NHS Eagle Fan
October 14th, 2009
4:25 pm
ENR…I was at the game. I haven’t missed a Northside game (home or away) since 1998. I’ve seen the good ones and the bad ones ALL FIRST HAND.
waco478
October 14th, 2009
4:25 pm
I’m 27 and i grew up in the Rick Tomberlin era at washington county…Ive seen first hand how a head coach can impact a whole community….He had our up and coming football players(middle school and rec players) looking up to the high school player’s like they were super stars….I remember games where,us the lil kids would be out their with our lil football tryin to imtate what the players on the field was doing..He also made going to the fri night game a must for everyone in town,so no matter who our opponet is on any givin fri night the home side would always be packed with fans ready to cheer and when the team traveled we would fill up their visting side too….I remember when we played lagrange for the state title in 2004,they thought because we was a under dog and lagrange was so far away that we wasnt going to make the trip so they open the field to only they fans to sit on the ground…oh how they was shocked when that bus let out all the loyal fans to add to the one’s that drove their……so to make this long story short,the hard work and dont quit attitude coach t gave us still live on today thats why you will always see washingtion county at the top of AAA…
NHS Eagle Fan
October 14th, 2009
4:25 pm
excuse me…that should be 1988
EagleNationRising
October 14th, 2009
4:32 pm
#1 Viking Fan: I am going to get you in a Warner Robins Demons skirt and find some Colquitt County pom-poms for you before it is all said and done. The way that you Lowndes County posters jump on the bandwagons of the opponents of teams that kick you around is sickening. You should have more pride than that. Do you see Camden County posters hating on Grayson the way you guys do. They have more dignity. Of course, the entire state saw Viking dignity at Grayson last season. Lowndes County knew better than to try that “gangster” stunt in Warner Robins!!!
Northside is 115-12 with four state championship appearances and 2 State Championships this century. Stop lying to yourself. Lowndes County is 2-6 versus Northside. We own you! We do not lose to Buck Godfrey caliber coaches like Randy McPherson, who is the king of Georgia in doing less with more. That would be Rick Tomberlin, who just lost his job.
Don’t make me send a few Grayson Rams to quiet you Vikings down. While you were talking and beating your chests after beating our Northside Eagles last year (good game by the way), you were getting pushed into the back seat by a metro Atlanta program. That is unheard of from a true power. Now, Northside is stuffing you in the trunk of your own South Georgia region. We are not South Georgia. However, we have our foot on your South Georgia throats. I know it. You know. Randy McPherson knows it too.
Our entire team returns next season. If you thought burying those weak National Championship hopes was hard a couple of weeks ago, wait until we make Martin Stadium our own little McConnell-Talbert South next season. Lowndes County gets out of the trunk when Northside (and Grayson) decide.
AVikingFan
October 14th, 2009
4:38 pm
Bigdaddy, I’ve heard his name already mentioned! You know he worked at Vldosta for a few years, and was the head coach at Raines in Jcksonville.
EagleNationRising
October 14th, 2009
4:40 pm
NHS Eagle: The final score last year was Northside 28, Valdosta 14. It does not matter what year you write. You said it…Valdosta score points in the final 4 1/2 minutes. If you were there, you know that the bench was cleared. That is how Conrad Nix coaches. Everyone in the state knows this. He is not going to put up 70 points on people…heck he rarely scores 50 points. He is going to give young players the opportunity to play in big games against top flight compeititon. It is why Northside is good year in and year out. Every players who works hard gets game experience. Valdosta had their starters in and they scored at the end. I live in Atlanta and I rarely get down to games. The game was not close. I was very excited to see Valdosta and I thought that it would be a close game. If you believe it was, you were not there. Valdosta quit in the 2nd quarter after the pick 6.
Valdosta only rushed for 64 yard and had only 8 first downs in the entire game. With 5 minutes left in the game the score was Northside 28, Valdosta 0. That is a big time beating. It is not really up for debate.
EagleNationRising
October 14th, 2009
4:44 pm
The head football coach at Lakeland High School in central Florida is not the Athletic Director. I know the AD. He used to be a college basketball coach. There is no way that the Lakeland HS football coach can be making $107,000/year. That should be the first guy that Valdosta calls. The stadium at Valdosta is not as nice as Martin Stadium at Lowndes County (one of the state’s best). However, Bazemore-Hyder is nicer than the stadium at Lakeland. It is much larger too. I would seek that guy out immediately! He should know all the pressures of coaching at a program with great expectation. Furthermore, kids in Lakeland (Polk County, FL) have school choice. They recruit like crazy down there. It is a way of life. He will be just fine in Valdosta.
Irishmafia
October 14th, 2009
4:47 pm
Get a friggin grip it’s HIGH SCHOOL football, yeah you know 14 -18 year olds. Gawd you people are just nuts. How many of you are worried whether any of those kids are actually learning anything in school? Or are they going to become those highly recruited players that can’t spell cat when you give them the c and the t?
SportsFan31313
October 14th, 2009
4:52 pm
And there you have it everyone, don’t NEVER say that Football is only a sport…. In Georgia, it is BIG BUSINESS……….
Avid Hahira/Valdosta Braves Fan
October 14th, 2009
4:52 pm
EagleNationRising, that so-called crap that took place at Grayson last year was total bull. It was a figment of Grayson’s imagination. I spoke to an adminstrator at Grayson High School approximately 5 days after the game and he said that it was not as bad as the media said it was. He said both teams were extremely emotional and it could have been Grayson receiving the bad press if it had not been at their home field. The officiating was also terrible for both teams.
slalom1
October 14th, 2009
5:20 pm
Just last week I pleaded for the “Wildcat Nation” to give Tomberlin time. “At least 2 more years”. Valdosta just lost their best possible candidate for “next great head coach” at famed Valdosta High School. This bums me out.
slalom1
October 14th, 2009
5:32 pm
YO, I believe you got this one right on the money. A head coaching job at Valdosta is a “death sentence”. Big ups for coach Tomberlin taking the job in the first place. What fool will take the job now? Guess we are about to find out. I do not believe we have heard the last from Coach Tomberlin. He will land on his feet and once again rise to the top when isn’t having to answer to morons.
gary
October 14th, 2009
5:34 pm
One would have to be afool not to believe shifting demographics haven not crippled the wildcats.
plowboy
October 14th, 2009
5:34 pm
ENR what do you mean by 115 and 12? COMPARE COACH NIX first 8 years at northside with COACH MAC`S at lowndes , VALDOSTA DID NOT QUIT LOWNDES JUST SHOWED UP
plowboy
October 14th, 2009
5:38 pm
lowndes has 5 state games and one against northside , who`s your daddy?
gary
October 14th, 2009
5:43 pm
So many people have moved out of Valdosta so that their kids can go to Lowndes and not have to deal with all the problems at Valdosta.
gary
October 14th, 2009
5:45 pm
Even Hyder had noted that things at Valdosta in 94 were not the way they where even 10 years before. Attendance was down, they were traveling on school busses instead of Greyhounds.The writing was on the wall even then
shun23 90Cat
October 14th, 2009
5:46 pm
Dooley: Carver beat us in 87(well Nicky Pitts did anyway),Coach OB averaged 10 wins a seasons not 9 and did win a title!
Now, the only one really making any sense on here is ENR. Apparently most of you don’t know anything about Valdosta football, only what you’ve heard.We didn’t recruit. All my teammates grew up with me.Lowndes does not have that many more students than VHS, so the more talent pool reason is a joke. If anything, they HAVE rezoned some of the city limits; the county hasn’t gotten any bigger, just to let you know.
I don’t know why the decision was made, but do not agree with. Sets the program back, is what i think( i’ve earned that opinion) before you ask. Did i see it coming, YES, and not entirely b/c of last week; so get over yourselves Vikings( By the way, those nationals aren’t so easy to get are they? So RESPERCT ours; may be the only ones the county ever gets)!
Anyway, GO CATS!!!!!
Good luck Coach Obrien and Woodstock!
Windell
October 14th, 2009
5:48 pm
Enter your comments here
gary
October 14th, 2009
5:48 pm
Bazemore and Hyder made and sustained a dynasty for almost 35 years. Coaching and demographics have everything to do with winning at Valdosta. Just watching the last game it was so eay to see how much more talent Lowndes had. Valdost looked overwhelmed.
gary
October 14th, 2009
5:53 pm
Too many diehard wildcat fans are holding on to what the team use dto do. Well the team has not done anything in 11 years. Theyve won only 2 titles since 92. Valdosta unless it finds another Hyder or Bazemore will soon be lucky to field 60 players, let alone win 5 games.
Lowndes Rules
October 14th, 2009
5:53 pm
Valdosta is old news—Lowndes is in control now and that will stay the same for a long time. Look for another state title this year. Valdosta should hire Buck Belue for their coach to turn things around.
SERIOUS GRAYSON HATER
October 14th, 2009
6:12 pm
Does the movie “Friday Night Lights” ring a bell to anyone?? If not go back and watch it…
Call it Like It Is
October 14th, 2009
6:39 pm
Being from Valdosta and a graduate of VHS, I hate to say it, but VHS having 1700 total high school population to Lowndes 2700 will make a huge difference to any program. The bottom line is with no new development within the city limits it will be hard for Valdosta to ever get back to a dominant program like they once were.
Hats off to the Lowndes program as it is great. The firing of this coach is totaly unfair based upon the circumstances just like the ousting of Mike O’Brian now at Woodstock.
Enough Said!
WILDCAT FAN
October 14th, 2009
6:40 pm
****** PLEASE READ THE WHOLE ARTICLE******
In 2006 Valdosta went 1-9 and did not lose a game by more that 7 points. that was a bad coaching job. In 2007 Vladosta went 9-3 with an expierenced senior rich team and los a game to mlk that they should have won. that was a bad coaching job. in 2008 valdosta sent 11 players to college and two of them to georgia and georgia tech and they went 5-5. valdosta has players on their current team and six division I players on that team. Valdosta loss to northside 16-13 and dominated them in every aspect of the game except special teams. they missed 4 field goals and kicked to a guy the beginning of the second half who had already show big play capabilities in the return game in the first half. that was a poor coaching job. they led for three quarters against colquitt until the fourth quarter when their defense came out and almost looked confused as to what colquitt was doing? colquitt did not change one thing from the 1st half to the 2nd half. that was bad coaching! valdosta has more athelete on their team thay any team in the region and he has not shown the ablilty to coach the kid the right way. time have changed in the city but egalenationrising is correct when he says valdosta has just as many atheletes and any team in the statew including lowndes. lowndes has 80 kids on the roster and plays both ways with many of their starters. tomberlin and his whole staff should be fired. they have not showed the ability to prepare their players and get them ready to play week end and week out. valdosta has more than 1900 students enrolled and over 125 players and you can’t win? and not to mention they are susposed to be the nations strongest team who broke all of these weightlifting records last year! there’s plenty of talent in winnersville. we need the right coach to come and get this program back on track!
steve
October 14th, 2009
6:55 pm
There are a lot of things many have missed. The behind the scenes stuff is a lot more fun. Tomberlin was asked to leave Lowndes because the school super (Pate) was afraid of him becoming too powerful at Lowndes. So, after 2 years the stupidintendent got rid of Tomberlin by violating state sunshine laws and holding a board meeting in private. Tomberlin left with his head held high and the stupidintendent was recalled and replaced by a high school chemistry teacher that had not administrative experience. Maybe Tomberlin was wanting to exact some revenge on Lowndes? He is a great coach but you have to have something to start with or you cannot win consistently. For those that think otherwise it is obvious that you have never coached. The second behind the scenes is a simple question that should be asked. Why is it that so many high schools that are perennial powerhouses near Air Force bases? Think about it – Lowndes with Moody AFB, Niceville with Eglin AFB, the macon schools with Warner Robins and the list is nationwide. Every Air Force father of a boy that plays football know which bases to get stationed at to have their son play for the best. I know that because I lived that situation and my son has rings playing for Valdosta. Ever since Tomberlin there are a lot of Air Force kids that are at Lowndes. These are not average athletes but normally superior athletes with fantastic fundamentals before they even arrive at a school. These are kids that are groomed by extemely qualified coaches that choose to coach youth as opposed to For all you whiners – THIS IS PERFECTLY LEGAL and goes on nationwide. This is not like Atlanta where kids use grannies address to change schools. I chose Valdosta so he could play for Hyder and he did. I credit his scholarship with Valdosta and their success. He now coaches in Florida and is very successful with his Air Force players. This has never been a secret. Just deal with it.
collegeballfan
October 14th, 2009
7:09 pm
The only way Valdosta will experience a State Championship is by reading history books. Its over down there folks.
LMAN
October 14th, 2009
7:32 pm
Steve I disagree. In Valdosta’s glory days none of their top athletes were affiliated with the Air Force. They all were home grown. For example, Dana Brinson, Stan Rome, Tony Anderson, etc. all were born and reared in Valdosta.
LMAN
October 14th, 2009
7:37 pm
Gary you full of s… Valdosta does not have any problems that Lowndes doesn’t. Valdosta’s problem is that the city folk listen to the lies you County people spread about the POOR city kids. People talk about the size of Lowndes, but look at the statistics and see where they are rank among Georgia schools academically. With approximately 2700 students your ranking should be much better.
GW
October 14th, 2009
7:39 pm
Anyone blaming a coach for 2009 era kids quitting in a game, a sign of no character, has never been around teenagers everyday in a school. They don’t just quit, they never start.
slalom1
October 14th, 2009
7:47 pm
Just a few more words here and I will shut up. Question: What would Nick Hyder or Wright Bazemore do that Coach T did not do given the current circumstances?
Okay. Some of you are gonna say, “Their kids would play much harder for them”. I don’t buy that. I have seen Tomberlin’s kids at WACO play their hearts out to the very end while knowing they were going to get whipped. I have also seen Coach T’s teams at WACO take it easy on teams that were quite obviously going to lose. Coach T was just about to bring on the BEST of his kids in 2010 and 2011. In his own words, “This is a process”. Shame on Valdosta for not giving this good man and well qualified coach a reasonable chance. I was once a huge fan of the Valdosta Touchdown Club. Not so sure anymore.
What Have You Done Lately...Nothing
October 14th, 2009
7:53 pm
How was is worded in the article?…..”Since 1913, Valdosta has won six mythical national championships and 23 state championships. The Wildcats have an overall record of 838 wins, 191 losses and 34 ties.” Who gives a rat’s-butt what happened in 1913!?!?! Take the last 10-15 years and Valdosta is average. Live in the past if you like but the rest of the state is moving on….and that goes for the bullies at Lowndes.
Hey Steve You Missed One
October 14th, 2009
7:57 pm
While you’re talking military installations….same at Camden County with the submarine base. There have been some military families ‘transferred’ in and football for their boys has been a major reason.
To Avid Hahira/Valdosta Braves Fan
October 14th, 2009
8:02 pm
I saw the Grayson game and Lowndes acted like a bunch of spoiled brats. They couldn’t handle Grayson standing toe-to-toe with them, then they choked. Lowndes players started arguing among themselves and then the bottom drop out. Lowndes melted when Grayson punched them back in the mouth. Also there was no problem with the officating.
Whoaaanellie
October 14th, 2009
8:14 pm
EagleNationRising, Randy Mac has 3 state titles in 7 years at Lowndes with this year, his 8th season, still to be determined. How, exactly, has he underachieved? Even Valdosta, in the days of the great Wright Bazemore and Nick Hyder didn’t always win the state title. How long has Conrad Nix coached at Northside and how many state championships has he won with the great number of quality athletes available to him?
C'mon already
October 14th, 2009
8:20 pm
You guys are seriously a bunch of dorks.
middle ga
October 14th, 2009
8:21 pm
Don’t feel sorry for Tomberlin. The reality is he could have stayed at WACO and became a Legend, but he got greedy and went to Valdosta were exspectations or unrealistic. So thats he’s fault. Coaches don’t play the game , but some act as if they rule the game and that’s what happened here. The ole generations of coaches are fading because they cannot get through or relate to the kids of today. Sorry Rick keep it moving and pout somewhere else
middle ga
October 14th, 2009
8:22 pm
I hear Upson-Lee has a head football coaching vacancy. Tomberlin maybe you should head to Thomaston because Tommy Watson is on his way out.
Jim
October 14th, 2009
8:25 pm
Valdosta and Lowndes County are big enough to build a third public high school.
yo
October 14th, 2009
8:33 pm
Steve regarding Tomberlin dismissal at Lowndes I believe you are drinking some Tomberlin cool aid.
Been living here a long time and that is the first time I have heard that excuse.