GAINESVILLE — Mark Wade spent nine years helping build the Gainesville girls soccer program into a consistent power.
Now he’s hoping to do the same for the Lumpkin County boys team.
Wade, the reigning Region 8-AAAAA coach of the year, announced Monday that he was leaving the Lady Red Elephants -- whom he led to region titles in 2012 and 2015 -- to take over the Indians' boys in Region 7-AAA. He added that it was one of the toughest decisions he’s made.
“I hate to leave this team; it’s one of hardest things I’ve ever had to do,” said Wade, who takes over from coach Flavio Colunga in Dahlonega. “Whoever comes in has got a really strong team coming back.”
Wade said the decision came as a result of job changes that left him open to a move.
“I never thought I would leave Gainesville; I planned to be there for 30 years,” Wade said. “This year ended in a perfect storm though. It has nothing to do with soccer. I’ve coached a great group of girls and have a great group coming back. But there’s been lots of changes at the school. I got moved (within the school) in mid-August and was getting moved again at the end of the year and I couldn’t understand it. Right after I found out I was being moved again the Lumpkin thing popped up, and they gave me a fantastic offer.”
Wade, who has been at Gainesville for 13 years total, nine in charge of the girls soccer team, compiled a record of 106-46-7, including a Class AAA semifinal appearance in 2012 -- the Lady Red Elephants’ deepest postseason run to date.
“I have so many great memories. There were so many great kids and great parent and community support... In 2012 we beat Carrollton in the Elite Eight. That was such a great accomplishment," Wade said. "We were not favored to win that game, but the girls dug in, fought and scratched out that win. I also think about things like when Liza Carpenter tore her ACL her freshman year... Instead of just rehabbing, she was following me around everywhere on crutches, and I almost ran over her several times on the sideline. That showed her dedication, and I think about things like that.”
Wade says he learned some valuable lessons during his time at Gainesville and will apply them to his new charges at Lumpkin County.
“I’m going to go up there and do what I’ve always done: work as hard as I can and ,” said Wade, who has spent time assisting with the boys team at Gainesville and at the club level but will be leading a boys varsity team for the first time. “The tactics are very similar (to coaching girls varsity). In this day and age you coach kids the same way; it does a disservice to girls to coach them in different ways. You coach soccer players, not boys vs. girls.”
The Indians are coming off a 6-11 season that saw them reach the first round of the state playoffs.
“I know they’re real young but have some solid classes coming in,” Wade said of the Lumpkin boys. “They finished fourth in a great region that had the state champ in it (West Hall). It’s a new challenge for me, and I’m excited about it and looking forward to it.”
Gainesville’s challenge, meanwhile, is to find a coach that can maintain the level of play which Wade helped imbue in the Lady Red Elephants.
“I don’t think we can really replace coach Wade. He’s a solid coach and done a wonderful job. We’re looking at it not as a matter of replacing him, because that’s not possible,” new Red Elephants athletic director Billy Kirk said. “We’re going to try and find someone who can take the program and maintain that level and take it to next level. We wish coach Wade and his family best of luck. We appreciate him, and we hate to lose him.”
Gainesville returns nine of 11 starters from this year’s 14-2 Region 8-AAAAA champions that fell in the first round of state, and Kirk says interest in the position is already evident.
“We’ve already had several people inquire about the position; we’re already fielding phone calls. And we’re starting the process rather rapidly," Kirk said. "Because, number one, it’s about taking care of the girls so they can have their summer workouts and make the most of their efforts.
“In my short time here it’s been very evident that there are high expectations throughout Gainesville High athletics.”
