The Long County Blue Tide football team will be looking for a new head coach in the very near future. Last week, head coach J.T. Pollock announced his formal retirement at the end of the 2020-2021 school year.

 Pollock spent four years in Ludowici as the head coach of the Blue Tide football team after being hired to replace Eric McNair in 2017. Despite posting just one win in those four years, Pollock said he could not have asked for other players.

“I wouldn’t have wanted any other group of guys than what I finish my career here with,” Pollock said at the team’s season-end banquet on Tuesday, Dec.8. “I came into this program with a small number of dedicated freshmen and they have grown into fine young men.”

The class of 2021 has always been a small one as the Tide only had four seniors finish the 2020 season: linemen Jakobe Roberts and Dakota Wood and linebackers Malachi Alberic and Jayven Williams.

 Before coming to Long County, Pollock spent 12 years as the head coach of the Appling County Pirates, a long time region rival of the Blue Tide. In Baxley, he was 82-49-2 with eight playoff appearances, two region titles, and an appearance in the semifinals of the 2011 AA state playoffs.

Previous to Appling County, Pollock coached linebackers and was defensive coordinator at Screven County High School in Sylvania.

 The search for the next head coach of the Blue Tide football team has already begun.