revised 8/09/09 for staff positions

STEVE PARDUE

Varsity Head Coach / Assistant Athletic Director / Running Back Coach
•      Hometown:  Hopkinsville, Kentucky
•      Education:   B.S. in Physical Education / Health from Austin Peay State University
        in  Clarksville, TN
        M.Ed. in Physical Education from West Georgia College
•      School System Position:  Coach Pardue teaches Advanced Physical Conditioning
        at  LaGrange High School.
•      College Sports Experience:  3-year letterman in football at Austin Peay State University
•      Coaching Experience: 
        1985 - Fayette County High School (Fayetteville, GA) - Offensive Line
        1986 - Albertville (AL) High School - Offensive and Defensive Lines
        1987 - 1990 - Crittenden County High School (Marion, KY) - Head Coach
        1991 - Present - LaGrange High School - Outside Linebackers (1991),
        Offensive Line (1992), Defensive Coordinator (1993),
         Head Coach (1994 -Present)
•      Record as Head Coach:  Coach Pardue came to LaGrange High School in 1991 as an assistant coach for the State and USA Today National Championship team.  He became head coach of the Grangers in 1994, and over the past fifteen years has amassed a record of 148 wins and 36 losses (103-19 in region competition), eight region championships, and three state championships.  He and his staff have received the Georgia Athletic Coaches Association (GACA) Region Coach of the Year honors eight times - in 2006, five consecutive times from 2000 through 2004, and for the 1996 and 1997 seasons.  Coach Pardue was awarded the 2003 Touchdown Club of Atlanta’s Bazemore Award for All-Classification Coach of the Year.  In 2001, 2003, and 2004, he received numerous honors including the Atlanta Journal AAA Coach of the Year, Georgia Sports Writers AAA Coach of the Year, GACA - AAA Coach of the Year, and Touchdown Club of Atlanta AAA Coach of the Year.  During the summer of 2000, he was an assistant coach for the victorious Georgia team in the Georgia / Florida All-Star Game.   In addition to his many coaching honors, Coach Pardue is recognized as an outstanding educator and was selected as the 2006 STAR Teacher at LaGrange High School.  He also currently serves as the State Football Chairman on the Board of the Georgia Athletic Coaches Association.
• Family:  Coach Pardue's wife is the former Pamela Bennett of Goodlettsville, TN.  Pam is employed at Hollis Hand Elementary as a fifth grade teacher.  They have a daughter and a son.  Morgan, 20, is a 2007 LHS graduate now studying nursing at LaGrange College.  Future Granger Chas is 13.

DONNIE BRANCH

Varsity Defensive Coordinator I
Defensive Line Coach

Hometown: Anniston, Alabama
Education: B.S. in Health and Physical Education from University of North Alabama
M.Ed. in Health, Physical Education, and Recreation from Troy State University
School System Position: Coach Branch is the In-School Suspension Lead Teacher at LaGrange High School.
College Sports Experience: 4-year letterman in baseball
Coaching Experience:
1984 - 1986 - Wheeler County High School (Alamo, GA)
1986 - Present - LaGrange High School
Other Coaching Responsibilities at LHS:  Head Coach of the Varsity Baseball Team.  Coach Branch’s teams have won numerous region championships and the 2004 AAA State Championship.
Family:  Coach Branch is married to the former Angie McElroy of Arab, AL.  Angie teaches first grade at Franklin Forest Elementary. Their son, Derek, 21, is a junior at Columbus State University, and their daughter, Allison, 16, is an LHS junior and member of the varsity tennis team

DAVID TRAYLOR

Varsity Offensive Coordinator I
Quarterback Coach

Hometown: Athens, Georgia
Education: B.A. in Sociology from Washington and Lee University
M.Ed. in Secondary Social Studies from West Georgia College
Ed.S. in Counseling from State University of West Georgia
School System Position: Coach Traylor is a Counselor at LaGrange High School.
College Sports Experience: Lettered in football (1 year) and baseball (4years)
Coaching Experience:
1978 - Clinch County High School (Homerville, GA)
1978 - 1980 - Cook County High School (Adel, GA)
1980 - 1982 - Wheeler County High School (Alamo, GA)
1982 - Present - LaGrange High School
Other Coaching Responsibilities at LHS: Assistant Varsity Tennis Coach
Family: Coach Traylor's wife, Sally Nichols Traylor, is a LaGrange native and former LHS Majorette.  Their son Tommy, 22, a senior at Auburn University and former Granger kicker, is the sideline reporter for Granger radio broadcasts. Their daughter Angelyn, 18, a 2009 LHS graduate and also a former LHS Majorette, is a freshman at Auburn.

JAMIE BOZEMAN

Varsity Inside Linebacker Coach

Hometown: Moultrie, Georgia
Education: Snead State Community College
B.S. in Social Studies Education from Auburn University
M. Ed. in Educational Leadership from Troy University
School System Position: Coach Bozeman serves as the Department Chair and teaches in the Social Studies Department at LHS.
College Sports Experience: Member of National Championship Co-ed Cheering Squad at Snead State Community College.
Coaching Experience:
2002 - Present - LaGrange High School
Family: Coach Bozeman is married to the former Sabrina Rhoden of Boaz, Alabama. She is a Speech and Language Pathologist at Franklin Forest Elementary. The Bozeman’s daughter, Madalyn, is six years old, and their son, Jackson, is two years old.

 

DAVID PLEASANTS

Varsity Offensive Line Coach

Hometown: Riverdale, Georgia
Education: East Central Mississippi Junior College
B.S. in Social Science from West Georgia College
M.Ed. in Social Science from West Georgia College
M.Ed. in Administration from Jacksonville State University
Ed.S. in Educational Leadership from Troy University
School System Position: Coach Pleasants teaches in the Social Studies Department at LHS.
College Sports Experience: Played football and golf, was named to the Academic All-Gulf South Conference Football Team in 1986, and received the Male Academic Athlete of the Year Award in 1987.
Coaching Experience:
1987 - 1988 - West Georgia College - Graduate Assistant
1988 - 1993 - LaGrange High School
1994 - 1998 - Rome High School
1999 - Peach County High School
2000 - 2001- Rockmart High School
2002 - Present - LaGrange High School
Other Coaching Responsibilities at LHS: Golf Coach
Family: Coach Pleasants’ wife, the former Catherine Dukes, is a LaGrange native and LHS graduate. She is employed as a counselor at LaGrange High School. Their daughter, Kennedy, is 12, and their son, Jack David, is 9.

TODD HERRINGTON

Varsity Receiver Coach

Hometown: LaGrange
Education: B.S. in English from LaGrange College
School System Position: Coach Herrington teaches in the English Department at LaGrange High School.
College Sports Experience: Played baseball at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College and LaGrange College
Coaching Experience:
1996 - LaGrange High School - Community Coach
1997 - 1998 - Newnan High School
1999 - Present - LaGrange High School
Other Coaching Responsibilities at LHS:
Assistant Varsity Baseball Coach
Family: Coach Herrington is married to the former Cappie Morrison of Newnan, a kindergarten teacher at Franklin Forest Elementary.  The Herrington’s daughter, Mary Ansley, is three years old.

CLAUDE GIDDENS
 

Varsity Tight End Coach

Hometown: Greenville,AL
Education:B.S. in Physical Education from Troy State University
M.Ed. in Physical Education from University of South Alabama 
School System Position:  Coach Giddens teaches Physical Education at Franklin Forest ElementarySchool
Coaching Experience:
1983 - 1988 - Troup High School
1989 - 1990 - Cartersville (GA) High School
1990 - 1996 - Troup High School
1996 - 2000 - Highland Home (AL) High School – Head Coach
2001 - LaGrange High School
2002 - 2004 - Callaway High School – Head Coach
2005 - Present – LaGrange High School
Family:  Coach Giddens is married to the former Denise Pruitt, a LaGrange native and teacher at Franklin Forest Elementary School. Their two children are Whitley, 17, a senior Granger Cheerleader, and Zach, age 14.

JASON WILLIS

Varsity Outside Linebacker Coach

Hometown: LaGrange, Georgia
Education: Central Alabama Community College
B.S. in Middle School Education from LaGrange College
School System Position: Coach Willis teaches fourth grade at Berta Weathersbee Elementary.
College Sports Experience: Played baseball at Central Alabama Community College and LaGrange College.
Coaching Experience: 2002 - Present - LaGrange High School
Other Coaching Responsibilities at LHS: Head Coach – JV Baseball
Family: Coach Willis is married to the former Katie Bush, a LaGrange native who also teaches at Berta Weathersbee Elementary.  Their son, Brady, celebrated his first birthday on August 25^th.

CAL HYERS

Ninth Grade Assistant Coach

Hometown: Waycross, Georgia
Education: B.S. in Health and Physical Education from Georgia Southern College
School System Position: Coach Hyers is the Physical Education Specialist at Unity Elementary.
College Sports Experience: Played with the Georgia Southern Rugby Club
Coaching Experience:
1986 - 1999 - Ware County High School (Waycross, GA)
2003 - LaGrange High School
Family: Coach Hyers is married to the former Jill Sprague of Roanoke, Alabama. Jill teaches English at LaGrange High School. They have a son and a daughter: Lew, age 13, and Meg, age 10.

TRAVIS HART

Ninth Grade Assistant Coach

Hometown: LaGrange, Georgia
Education:
2005 Graduate of LaGrange High School
Eastern Kentucky University
Sports Experience: Coach Hart was a three-year letterman at LHS and played on the 2001, 2003, and 2004 State Championship football teams. He also was a two-year letterman in football at Eastern Kentucky.
Coaching Experience:
2008 - Present – LaGrange High School
Other Coaching Responsibilities at LHS: Boys’ Track and Field Coach
 

LEE PHELPS

Ninth Grade Assistant Coach
Hometown: LaGrange, Georgia

Education:
B.S. in Secondary Mathematics Education from Auburn University
M.Ed. in Curriculum, Instruction, & Assessment from Walden University

School System Position:
Coach Phelps teaches Math at LaGrange High School.
Coaching Experience: 2003 - 2009 - Starrs Mill High School
 
Family: Coach Phelps is married to the former Leisha Pitcher of Franklin, TN. They have a 16 month old daughter, Halle Reese.

DARREN GRAVAT

Head Athletic Trainer

Hometown: Whidbey Island, Washington
Education: B.G.S. in Athletic Training and History / Secondary Education from James Madison University in Harrisonburg, VA
School System Position: Mr. Gravat teaches Social Studies at LaGrange High School.
College Sports Experience: Served as Student Trainer for 4 1/2 years at James Madison University.
Experience as Athletic Trainer:
1991 - 1995 - Potomac High School (Prince William County, VA) - Head Athletic Trainer
1995 - Present - LaGrange High School
Other Responsibilities at LHS: In addition to his football responsibilities, Mr. Gravat serves as the Head Athletic Trainer for ALL sports at LHS.
Family: Mr. “G” is married to the former Jodie McCoy, a native of New Jersey.  Their family includes two daughters:  Emily Chancey, age 11, and Rebekah, who is 4 years old.