When it was announced that the head coaching slot for the basketball team at South Cobb High School was available, many applicants were interested in the position. Exiting head coach Gregory Moultrie announced that he would be moving on to Hillgrove, and the top-tier program he had built at South Cobb was up for grabs.

After an intense search and interview process, the administrators at South Cobb have decided on Moultrie's replacement. Coach Hollis Bethea from Douglas County High School will be taking over the Eagle program.

Coach Bethea is a known entity in the local basketball community and has much experience playing against Cobb teams, as Douglas County is a regular contender in 6A play. Coach Bethea won Region 5 last season with a 14-1 conference record and holds an impressive 269-95 career record.

"Coach Bethea brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to South Cobb," said South Cobb Athletic Director Amanda Burks. "We couldn’t be more excited to have him on board with us! I am looking forward to working alongside him as he takes Eagle Basketball to the next level." 

"Coach Moultrie and I are friends," said Coach Bethea, "and I called him when I heard that the position was opening, and we talked about it a bit. South Cobb has a great administration, and I thought it would be an exciting opportunity for change. I will try to build on what Coach Moultrie has started."

Coach Bethea got his start at Banneker High School and moved onto Westlake from there. He's been a head coach for 12 years, with 8 of those at Douglas County. He has been in education for 26 years total, including an 8-year stint in administration, so he is quite familiar with the ins and outs of both coaching and academics.

"I'm looking forward to the opportunity to work in a different community and help to bring a championship to South Cobb," said Coach Bethea. "There's a talented group of players there, and the potential is great. I played many of the Cobb Schools at Douglas County, but now I'm really getting into the power region in 6A."

Coach Bethea's definition of success is seeing where he can take the program and the players from where they are now. Winning region and state championships are important to him, but helping the players develop their skills and talents is what really motivates him. "I measure the success of both myself and the players by how much we have progressed together. If we are progressing, the program will too," he said without hesitation. 

Coach Bethea counts longtime Westlake head coach Darron Rogers as a mentor and University of North Carolina's Hubert Davis as influential on his coaching style. "I've been around success all my career," he said. "I've been to Final Fours and won a couple of state titles as an assistant. I've won a few region championships at Douglas County. I'm approaching 300 career wins, and now I can't wait to bring all my experience to South Cobb."

Welcome to the Cobb Schools family, Coach Bethea. We look forward to what you have in store for South Cobb and the Eagle basketball program next season!