A familiar foe to the Redskins’ football program will now call Social Circle home, as the Redskins announced this week that Monroe Area defensive coordinator Chad Estes will take over as the Redskins’ head football coach.
Estes replaces former head coach Ron Sebree, who compiled a 0-20 record during his two seasons with the Redskins.
While at Monroe Area under head coach Matt Fligg, Estes helped the Purple Hurricanes to a 42-8 overall record and Region 8-AAAA titles in 2012 and 2013. The Purple Hurricanes went 0-20 the two previous seasons before Estes’ arrival.
A Conyers native, Estes served as the Salem Seminoles head coach from 2006-2009, going 27-14 overall. Estes went 9-2 overall in 2007 with the Seminoles, earning the Region 8-Division B-AAAA championship with a perfect 5-0 record. Estes and the Seminoles qualified for the state tournament in 2007, falling to St. Pius in the first round of the playoffs. Estes also coached at Mundy’s Mill from 2003-2004, compiling an 8-11-1 overall record.
Estes said he was excited and fortunate to join the Redskins’ program.
“I’m really looking forward to turning the program around,” Estes said. “I’m really excited and humbled. At this point in time, they were looking for someone who was positive, energetic and had a vision and the experience to move their program in the right direction.
“I’ve been raised in the area and I’m from Conyers,” he said. “Social Circle has always intrigued me. They have the small-town atmosphere that I feel is important to building a program. People in this area are invested in their team.”
Social Circle High School principal Dr. Keith Everson said that Estes stood out among the other coaching candidates. The Redskins considered six candidates for the head coaching position.
“We took a proactive approach to this coaching search,” Everson said. “We didn’t want to post the job and just wait for something to happen – we wanted to make something happen. We looked at coaches around the metro area that had the experience of building a program, and our interview team determined that Coach Estes was the candidate to lead our program.
“All of our candidates were very qualified, but he came out and had the most specific plan to turn around the program,” he said. “We believe he can not only inspire kids to be on the team, but inspire them to be a winning football team.”
Social Circle broke ground Nov. 15 on a new athletic complex that will span more than 30 acres and feature a football field, a track, five tennis courts, baseball and softball fields, and a weight room that will open this fall. Estes said that the complex will provide support to his program and the community and school want to improve its standing in football.
“I am so thoroughly impressed with the school, the administration and the complex,” Estes said. “I feel like they are making a commitment to athletics and they’re all in. They want our school to be successful.
“I know they have struggled in football, but I think this commitment from the school and the community is going to make this a great place to be,” he said. “We’ve got to get the kids interested and get them out playing football. The complex is going to be a great selling point to these kids, and I think it’s something we can all get excited about.”
Everson said that Estes’ history of helping programs turn around quickly was an important factor in his selection.
“He knew about our program, where they were and what it would take for us to turn around,” Everson said. “His past success is going to be tremendously important. We had a great coach in Coach Sebree, but our program needed something different. We want our kids to experience success on the football field.
“Coach Estes knows how to teach the fundamentals and inspire kids – that’s what made him stand out,” he said. “Those on the interview team were getting excited about next season listening to him. Although anyone can talk a great game, Coach Estes has done it on the field before.”
Social Circle recorded its last win Sept. 23, 2011, against Athens Christian by forfeit, but Estes said he isn’t looking back; he’s geared toward the future.
“The past doesn’t concern me,” Estes said. “Social Circle has had success with their other athletic programs and we want to make sure that football gets there, too. We’re not looking back; we’re looking forward.”
Everson said that Sebree is still employed by the school system. Former Social Circle principal Tony Overstreet will serve as interim athletic director in Sebree’s place.
