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Caleb Sorrell's officially stepped down as the head coach of the LCHS football team on Monday.
In a called meeting of the Lumpkin County Board of Education Monday, among other business, the board voted to accept the resignation of Lumpkin County High School head coach Caleb Sorrells.
Sorrells came to coach the Indians in 2019 after serving as an assistant at Stephens County High School. The coach finished his third season as head coach at LCHS with a 2-8 record on the season, bringing his overall record at Lumpkin to 3-27.
“I am beyond grateful for the opportunity to have served our players and school as head football coach,” Sorrells told The Nugget. “Obviously, I wish the W/L column read differently, but that doesn't change how proud I am of the coaches and players who invested so much into our team.”
LCSS Superintendent Dr. Rob Brown said that Sorrells will continue to teach at LCHS.
Sorrells said he spent the days following the season’s end thinking of how to continue improving the program.
“The days immediately after the season ends are always a time for me to reflect on what went well, what needs improving, and the best direction to move us forward,” he said. “This year, that reflection pointed toward a change in leadership.”
Brown said that Sorrells submitted a resignation suggesting that he felt “fresh leadership” would be best for the program.
“...I deeply regret that we were not able to accomplish more, and I am hopeful that there are better seasons ahead for the next head coach," the letter ended, according to Brown.
Despite no longer being a part of the program, Sorrells says he looks forward to watching his players continue to grow and improve.
“I told our kids today the same thing I tell them after every practice: ‘I love you, I believe in you, and I expect a lot out of you,’” he said. “I'm excited to see them take another step towards reaching their potential in 2022. It was just time for that step to be led by a new voice and a new vision. I want them to experience that success more than I want to be the one at the helm of it. I wish Lumpkin County nothing but the best in the seasons ahead.”
Brown commended Sorrells’s ability to focus on improving his players’ character in his tenure at Lumpkin.
“We will forever be grateful for the focus that Coach Sorrells had on building character in young men so they may be successful in life,” Brown said.
The search for the program’s next leader was set to begin today, according to Brown.
“We will begin the search for a new Head Football Coach immediately,” he said. “The vacancy will be posted today.”