TIGER, Ga. — Michael Davis confirmed to AccessWDUN Sports that he has retired as head coach at Rabun County.
“I’ve retire from Rabun County, but I’m not retired from coaching,” he said by phone Thursday night. "I hope, and if I’m fortunate enough (to keep coaching). I love being around kids. I love the relationships that I build with kids. It keeps me young and keeps me going. I love Friday nights and the game of football. So, it might be over at Rabun County, but my career is not over, God willing.”
News of his retirement was all over social media on Thursday night. Some of those social media posts said he was forced out. Davis didn't confirm that he was forced to retire, saying, "God has a plan, and my plan is not be the coach at Rabun County."
Davis led the Wildcats to a 27-10 record over the past three seasons, including a Region 8-A Division 1 title in 2022 and a pair of quarterfinal appearances.
The Wildcats finished 2024 6-5 in a super tough Region 8-A Division 1, losing to Commerce, Athens Academy and Elbert County by a combined 13 points. But by Rabun County standards, it was a down year.
Rabun County will enter the 2025 campaign as a favorite in the region as they return seven on offense and eight on defense, including junior QB Ty Truelove, who battled through a shoulder injury most of the season, playing eight games. He finished with 808 yards passing and seven TDs and rushed for another 396 yards and six TDs. They also return the entire backfield, including Reid Giles, who rushed for 1,348 yards and 16 scores. Lake Evans was the No. 2 back, rushing for 743 yards and 13 TDs.
The receiver's room also returns several, and, on defense, they welcome back seven of eight with over 65 tackles, including leading tacklers Noah English and Giles.
The rising senior class would have been Davis's first four-year class at Rabun County. He did say it's disappointing that he won’t be able to coach those guys next season.
“This junior class next year would have been my first class I had coached all four years,” he said. “So, I’m disappointed I won’t be there. Those kids are just tremendous, and I won’t get to coach them their senior year. And, you know, that hurts me because I have a really good relationship with those kids.”
Davis came to Rabun County from Calhoun and served the 2021 season as offensive coordinator under Jaybo Shaw, coaching an offense led by current University of Georgia quarterback Gunner Stockton. Stockton passed for over 4,000 yards in 2021 and set the state passing TD record, connecting with Jaden Gibson, who also holds the state career receiving yards record, for over 1800 yards and 19 TDS. The Wildcats averaged over 500 yards and 42.3 points per game that season.
"Being able to coach Gunner Stockton my first year as an assistant was phenomenal," he said. "It's not every day you get to coach a kid like that. Then coaching a kid like Jaden Gibson. But when you get texts from former players saying, 'I don't know what's going on, but you know, I hope you're still going coach, I love you, and appreciate what you did for me,' it just makes it all worthwhile."
Davis said he would finish out the school year at Rabun County.
http://accesswdun.com/article/2025/2/1288509/football-rabun-countys-davis-announces-retirement