FLOWERY BRANCH — Chris Griffin is a part of the fabric of Flowery Branch football.
Yet the coach that has been with the Falcons since the program's inception in 2002 is stepping away.
Griffin announced his resignation as head coach on Friday, ending a five-year stint in charge of the team after acting as an assistant for 10 years prior.
Citing family reasons, Griffin -- who led the Branch to a 29-22 record, a region title and two state playoff appearances from 2012-16 -- said the time had come for a change.
"It's personal, and this is what's best for my family," said Griffin, whose team went 3-7 in 2016 -- the program's first losing campaign since 2004. "A lot of people are going to want to make it about the decline and all that, but when you work with kids and your passion is teaching and helping kids grow, wins and losses are not the focus.
"Right now this is what's best for my family. It's time for a change in my life."
Griffin noted that he will stay at the school for the foreseeable future -- though he wants to continue in his role as a football coach at some point, wherever that may lead.
"I want to coach football somewhere," Griffin said. "And I want to be in this area; it's a good place to be. My family has a great situation here. And I want to coach, whether that be as a position coach, assistant, coordinator -- or even if another head coaching position opens up."
Falcons athletic director Jimmy Lawler praised Griffin for his work with Flowery Branch players.
"Coach Griffin is a great person, and we appreciate all that he has done for Flowery Branch football," Lawler said. "He has been a role model for the kids in our program. He does things the right way, not only teaching football, but positive life lessons as well. His hard work and loyalty to our school and football program will be greatly missed."
The Falcons, however, are already moving on in search of a replacement.
"We have already received some interest since (Friday) morning," Lawler said. "We don't have a true time table, but I think we would like to have a decision by the end of the calendar year. But we'll see where we are as the process goes along."
For the time being, the Branch finds itself in an unfamiliar position after losing the coach that came in with original head man Lee Shaw, who led the Falcons from 2002-2011 before leaving for the same position with his alma mater, Rabun County.
Griffin acted as Shaw's defensive coordinator and played a key role for teams that went 72-17 between 2005-2011, reaching the Class AAA championship game in 2008 and the Class AAA semifinals in 2009.
Griffin's first season in charge also provided a memorable moment, as his program knocked off eventual state champ Gainesville to claim the 2012 Region 8-AAAAA title.
"The relationships with players and coaches were the biggest thing for me; I fell in love with the people here at Flowery Branch, which is why I stayed so long," Griffin said. "I also loved being an assistant under coach Shaw and learned so much from him. We won a lot of games and made a lot of memories, but the main thing was working with these kids."
