#The Brookwood athletic program stuck to its roots, and its hiring trend, with its two new head soccer coaches.
#Stephen George, a 2006 Brookwood grad, was announced Friday as the Broncos’ head boys soccer coach, while the school also announced 1991 Brookwood grad Chad Carithers as its head girls soccer coach. George, currently a Bronco assistant, replaces his previous boss, Danny Klinect, who will be the head boys soccer coach at Parkview next season. Carithers, the director of coaching at Georgia FC, steps in for Jeff Becker, who was hired as head girls soccer at North Gwinnett.
#“I think it will be good (to work with George),” Carithers said. “Brookwood is always good about bringing former players back to teach and coach.”
#The two coaches join a growing list of Brookwood grads who are now head coaches at their alma mater, a list that includes football coach Philip Jones, basketball coaches Daniel Bowles and Mark Isenhour and girls cross country coach Chris Carter.
#“It’s something that I’ve kind of always wanted to do,” George said of coaching at Brookwood. “Obviously being a player at Brookwood, understanding the Brookwood tradition of success and all of that is important. It’s something special to me to be able to play here and come back and coach here.”
#George was a two-time all-county selection as a high-school and also won a state championship with the 2004 team before playing college soccer at West Virginia and Georgia Southern. He has been an assistant to Klinect for four seasons, helping the Broncos to last year’s Class AAAAAA state title. George played his senior season at Brookwood for Klinect after playing his first three seasons for previous head coach Mike Coulter.
#“I’m excited about it,” said George, who also coaches club soccer for Atlanta Fire United. “Just trying to continue being successful here, that’s the main thing. I’ve had good coaches before me. I hope I can continue to keep that tradition going.”
#Carithers remains one of Brookwood’s most decorated soccer players, having played for the U.S. Under-23 National Team in 1994 and 1995 in addition to earning two caps with the full U.S. National Team in 1994. The two-time all-state player while at Brookwood was the second-leading scorer in the nation as a College of Charleston senior in 1994 and also played pro soccer in Japan, for the South Carolina Shamrocks, for the Charleston Battery and for the Raleigh Express from 1995 to 2000.
#He has coached at Georgia FC since moving back to Georgia late in 2000, but only recently moved into education after 10 years in the corporate world. He has been a special education paraprofessional at Brookwood the past two school years, but will join the special education department full time in 2015-16.
#“I’m looking forward to the school spirit, the camaraderie around one central goal, your school,” Carithers said. “Club is that way a little bit but it’s more about my team, not really the whole club as a group. You’re still trying to make a name for your club, but trying to make a name for your school is more personal. That’s what I’ll enjoy, what I look forward to about going to the school. Hopefully I can try to make the school better and help the team keep succeeding and moving forward.”
#New position: Head boys soccer coach at Brookwood
#Former position: Assistant boys soccer coach at Brookwood
#Career record: First head coaching job
#Education: Graduated from Brookwood High School in 2006; graduated from the University of Georgia with a social studies education degree
#Background: Has been an assistant boys soccer coach at Brookwood for four seasons, including last year’s state championship team; two-time all-county selection as a Brookwood played in 2005 and 2006; also a member of the Broncos’ 2004 state championship team; played two seasons of college soccer at West Virginia, where the team won the Big East in 2006 and made the NCAA Tournament in 2006 and 2007; played final two college seasons at Georgia Southern
#New position: Head girls soccer coach at Brookwood
#Former position: Director of coaching at Georgia FC
#Career record: First high school head coaching job
#Education: Graduated from Brookwood High School in 1991; graduated College of Charleston with degree in education
#Background: Former all-state soccer player for Brookwood in 1990 and 1991; played soccer at the College of Charleston for four seasons, earning All-American honors and ranking second nationally in scoring in 1994; member of U.S. Under-23 National Team in 1994 and 1995; earned two caps with the full U.S. National Team in 1994; played pro soccer with Albiereo Niigatta of Japan (1995), the USISL’s South Carolina Shamrocks (1996) and the A-League’s Charleston Battery (1997 and 1998) and Raleigh Express (1999 and 2000)
#Family: Wife, Lori; daughter Sydney, 20; sons Jake, 10, and Conner, 10
Posts
