Ed Pilcher, who will be beginning his fourth season as Bainbridge High School head football coach next fall, has overseen an athletic program that reached some of its greatest heights during that time.

Hired as Bearcats head football coach in 2008, Coach Pilcher, graciously agreed to take the position as Decatur County School System athletic director when Howell and former School Superintendent Ralph Jones asked him to do so.

Bainbridge High School Principal Tommie Howell described Pilcher as possibly the most respected football coach in Georgia,

During his tenure as athletic director, the BHS basketball team has won three consecutive Region 1AAAA championships and made two Final Four appearances under Coach Rickey McCullough. Also, the BHS boys track team won the 2010  State Class AAAA  championship under Coach Larry Cosby.

In 2008-2009, Coach Pilcher led the Bainbridge High School athletic program to the Region 1AAAA All-Sports championship, an accomplishment reached by winning region championships in multiple sports.

Another great athletic feat during Coach Pilcher’s tenure as athletic director occurred in the spring of 2010, when former Coach Nicki Shockley’s Lady Cats tennis team won the Region 1AAAA championship and went on to finish second in the state.

While football was his first love, Coach Pilcher supported all Bearcats and Lady Cats teams during his tenure as athletic director.

Whether it was a basketball game, a baseball game, a track meet, a tennis tournament or a soccer game, he was there personally supporting the young athletes. I know because I have seen him there time after time.

He took his athletic director’s job seriously and performed it superbly.

Following this school year, Pilcher will be stepping down as athletic director. Succeeding him in the position will be Stan Killough, who has served as assistant athletic director under him and fellow former Bearcats head football coaches and athletic directors Bob Christmas, Greg Guy and Ricky Woods. Killough also had a successful career as BHS head baseball coach.

I commend Coach Pilcher for agreeing to accept the athletic director’s position when asked and leading Bainbridge High School to great athletic heights.

I am looking forward to our continued relationship in his position as BHS head football coach.

Whenever I need to talk with him about a particular game or some particular player or players for a story I am working on, he always takes the time to sit down and talk with me, and I deeply appreciate it.

This is my 41st year as sports editor of this fine newspaper and Coach Pilcher and all the other coaches I have worked with in various sports have been extremely accommodating.