Coming & going
Hal Lamb retires as Calhoun coach
Hal Lamb, one of the most successful coaches — regardless of sport — in Chattanooga-area history, retired Thursday as football coach at Calhoun High School.
In 21 seasons with the Yellow Jackets, the 54-year old Lamb compiled a 233-37 overall record, winning Georgia Class AAA state championships in 2011, 2014 and 2017. The Yellow Jackets were state runners-up five times (2005, ’08, ’09, ’10, ’12) and reached the semifinals two other times.
Calhoun finished 13-1 last season, falling in the state semifinals to Peach County.
“I started thinking about it more than a year ago that this would probably be my last season,” Lamb said. “Really, there’s nothing more to it than I just felt like it was time.
“This whole day has been the most difficult day in my life. Telling the players was very difficult. I don’t think I’ll coach again, but I won’t say I won’t ever. If I miss it after a year or so, I would come back.”
Immediately after Lamb met with the team Thursday afternoon, the school announced it will promote receivers coach Clay Stephenson, who has been an assistant for 12 years, to take over the program.
The school also announced that the field at Phil Reeve Stadium will be named in Lamb’s honor.
Under Lamb, the Yellow Jackets have won a state-record 18 consecutive region titles and 138 straight region games, beginning in 2001. After eight years as an assistant, Lamb began his head coaching career at Upson-Lee High and after two seasons took over
at Calhoun. His overall career record is 238-52.
“We played in eight state championship games in 20 years,” said Lamb, who has accepted an offer to become the director of athletic facilities and event coordinator at the school. “To get to the last game in that many years says we’re doing something right. We played in 69 playoff games, so that equals out to several more seasons worth of games, too. Thirty-one years is a long time to do this.
“I had no idea when I came here that it could be like it is now, but I’m real pleased with everything we’ve accomplished.”
Contact Stephen Hargis at shargis@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6293. Follow him on Twitter @StephenHargis.