Camden County football coach Jeff Herron retires after legendary career

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Camden County’s Jeff Herron, one of the best high school football coaches in Georgia history, is calling it a career.

Herron announced his retirement on Friday morning, saying that treatment for prostate cancer over the past two and a half years have taken their toll. Herron said that he needed to step away to focus on his family and his health, ending a legendary career that began in 1982 as an assistant at Tennessee Tech.

Herron led Camden County to the Class 7A state semifinals last season, his best finish there since returning to Kingsland for his second stint in 2021. Herron finishes his career with a 334-69 record across eight high schools — Cedar Shoals, Grayson, Oconee County, Prince Avenue Christian, T.L. Hanna, Walton and Wheeler. But Camden was where Herron spent the bulk of his time at as a high school coach.

In a statement to Kingsland radio station K-Bay 106.3, Herron said it was a difficult decision to face the realization that he just didn’t have what it would take to remain coaching.

“After much thought and prayer, I have decided to retire from teaching and coaching. Two and a half years ago, during my first year back at Camden, I was diagnosed with metastatic prostrate cancer. I immediately began treatments, and by the grace of God the treatments are still working,” Herron wrote.

“However, the side effects of the treatments and the stress of managing a 7A football program have taken a toll on me both mentally and physically. While this past year was a magical season, I began to question whether I could continue to have the drive and passion that it takes to be the head coach that Camden County deserves. For me, for any man I am sure, that is a hard thing to admit. But I love this community, this school, and the coaches and players and parents, and I want what is best for them. Selfishly, I am convinced that this decision is also what is best for me and my family.”

Herron spent 13 seasons at Camden in his first stint there, winning three state championships from 2000 to 2012. He left Camden after the 2012 season and went to Prince Avenue Christian and won three region titles in three years. From there, Herron went to Grayson and won a state championship in 2016 before going to T.L. Hanna in South Carolina and winning region titles in his two seasons there.

Herron racked up 309 wins in Georgia, a total that ranks 12th in state history, according to the Georgia High School Football Historians Association.