Derrick Clay is the new head football coach at The Heritage School in Newnan.
He was appointed by Kristin Skelly, head of school, and it became effective on Monday, March 23.
“Coach Clay has done a wonderful job stepping up this year as the interim head football coach,” Skelly said. “He is a great leader for our student-athletes. We are glad that he has accepted the position of head football coach and look forward to supporting him in this role.”
Clay has served as interim head coach since August. He joined the Heritage community in 2011. Clay teaches physical education to third through ninth graders, and his other coaching duties include head girls varsity basketball coach and head varsity and middle school track coach.
“Any time you are given a chance to lead a group of people, it is a privilege,” Clay said. “It is an awesome thing to be asked to be a leader at The Heritage School and to coach these great students. My goal is to turn these young boys into young men who will become leaders, serve our community, and represent our school well, on and off the field.”
Heritage Athletic Director Nathan Watts is enthusiastic about the future with Clay at the helm. “We are very excited to have Derrick Clay serve officially as the next head football coach at The Heritage School,” he said. “His enthusiasm, leadership and passion for mentoring young people align with the values of Heritage athletics. He works hard to develop a true sense of camaraderie among young people to give them lasting memories of high school athletics.”
In less than four years, Clay has already made his mark, coaching the Lady Hawks Girls Varsity Basketball Team to back to back appearances in the Final Four in 2014 and 2015. In addition, he led the Hawks Varsity Football team to its second region title in school history last October.
He has been named Region Coach of the Year five times – twice for Girls Basketball, twice for Track, and once for Football.
Prior to his time at Heritage, Clay worked at Bulloch Academy in Statesboro for nine years where he was an assistant coach for football, basketball, and track. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Child and Family Development from Georgia Southern University.
For Clay, success hinges on building trust and camaraderie. “Being a part of The Heritage School means you are a part of a family,” he said. “These kids have accepted me into their families ever since I arrived four years ago, and I do not take that for granted. We are looking forward to learning and growing together as a team as we for the season. I believe that 2015 will be a special year, especially with the leadership of our rising seniors. I expect for us to do big things on Friday nights this fall.”
