CCSD Celebrates 2026 Coach of the Year!

Cherokee High School boys golf Head Coach Gerald Sharpe was surprised today with the announcement that he is the CCSD 2026 Coach of the Year!   

A 23-year educator and coach who led his boys golf team to the State Championship last school year, Coach Sharpe was surprised with the Coach of the Year honor at the school today.  Superintendent of Schools Mary Elizabeth Davis and district staff made the presentation along with Shottenkirk Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram of Canton General Manager Bill Harrell, who presented Coach Sharpe with the gift of a one-year lease of a new vehicle from the dealership.  In addition to golf, Coach Sharpe also is the boys varsity assistant basketball coach and the school’s assistant athletic director and has served as assistant volleyball coach.  Our School Board is laser focused on ensuring our students are learning more, growing more, and achieving more in our classrooms than they could anywhere else!

“Coach Sharpe let’s his work do the talking, and you’ll never hear him boasting about his successes.  He coaches his players to prepare to win and to expect to win, and he helps them see where they can get better when they do not achieve their goals,” Principal Andy Hall said.  “They don’t make too many coaches like Coach Gerald Sharpe anymore, and no one is more deserving of a state title or of the title of Coach of the Year for Cherokee County.”

Coach Sharpe began his teaching career in Savannah, where he also coached high school boys basketball for one year before turning to coaching college basketball.  He taught and coached basketball at North Georgia College (now university), continued at Brewton-Parker College where he also began coaching golf, Louisiana College, and Reinhardt University.  At Reinhardt, he led the golf team to fourth place in the National Junior College Athletic Association’s National Golf Championship.

Since joining Cherokee HS in 2003, Coach Sharpe has served not only as an outstanding teacher and coach, but also as a school leader.  As assistant athletic director, he coordinates logistics for the school’s athletic events and cheers on every team – and roots for every student’s success in the classroom as well.

“I knew from the beginning of my teaching and coaching career that one of, if not the most important things, I could do was build relationships with students and athletes.  I believe that if you truly show you care and build a relationship with the individual, you have a much better chance of them improving and giving you their best each day,” Coach Sharpe said.  “We all value winning and we were fortunate enough to win the State Championship last season in 6AAAAAA Golf, which was the first boys’ team State Championship in the 70-year history of the school, but I feel as an educator and coach my responsibility is just as important to prepare them to be productive citizens in our society.”

In addition to the vehicle lease from Shottenkirk, Coach Sharpe will also receive s a $5,000 BSN Sports credit for sportswear and equipment.  The awards program begins with the selection of a top coach for each CCSD Innovation Zone (high school and feeder schools), and those coaches then are considered for the CCSD honor.  Judges select the CCSD winner based on outstanding leadership, tradition of excellence and contributions to overall school culture and community.

The Innovation Zone Coach of the Year winners, who each received a $1,000 BSN credit, are: 
Cherokee Zone: Golf Coach Gerald Sharpe 
Creekview Zone: Girls Basketball Coach Eric Herrick
Etowah Zone: Soccer Coach Chris Bryce
River Ridge Zone: Swim Coach Tracye Bulger
Sequoyah Zone: Girls Basketball Coach Chris Yarbrough
Woodstock Zone: Flag Football Coach Sadie Chadwick

#CCSDElevateTheExcellence