Greensboro, Ga. (February 10, 2021) – Lake Oconee Academy is pleased to welcome Drew Anthony to the new football and athletics staff for the upcoming school year.  Anthony will serve as the Head football coach and will oversee the development of the initial 1st-12th grade football programs at the school.  He will teach various high school Social Studies classes including Advanced Placement Government and Economics.  He brings with him 27 years of coaching experience in the Georgia High School Association as well as an extensive background in teaching Social Studies, Special Education, and Physical Education.

Anthony is relocating to the Lake Oconee area from St. Mary’s, GA where he served as assistant football coach as well as the Special Teams Coordinator and Academic Athletic Coordinator for Camden County High School, a perennial football powerhouse. Prior to that, he served as the Special Teams Coordinator and Tight Ends coach at Buford High School for 14 years.  During his time at Buford, Anthony won Assistant Coach of the Year as well as 13 Region Championships and eight State Championships.  He also coached Track and Field and produced a State Champion in shot put and discus.   Early in his career, he coached at Washington-Wilkes High School and Cedar Shoals High School, where he served as Offensive Coordinator.

“I am thrilled to have the opportunity to work with Coach Anthony.  We had many great candidates that expressed interest in the opportunity to build a football program at LOA.  Coach Anthony was a great fit for us because of his wealth of experience in high level academic and football environments,” said LOA Athletic Director Chris Ingle. “He is a person of high character and integrity that coaches for the right reasons.  He will be an active and engaged role model in our community.  I am very confident that the young men of the new football program at LOA will be better because he coaches them. ”

Anthony and his wife Lyndi, an Oncology nurse, have three children J.T. (10), Abi (8), and Nate (6).  Coach Anthony credits his family and others for this opportunity.  “I am thrilled to have been chosen to lead the Lake Oconee Academy Football program.  I would like to thank Dr. Tucker, Mark Lipscomb, and Chris Ingle for giving me the chance to start a program from scratch.  I would also like to thank all of the coaches who helped me throughout my career including Jeff Herron, Scott Wilkins, Butch Brooks, Curtis Williams, Dexter Wood, Jess Simpson, Bob Sphire and Welton Coffey,“ said Coach Anthony.  “Most importantly, I would like to thank my wife and children for their love and support.  I could not be the person that I am without them.”

“The educational opportunities at LOA for my children are what first drew me to the school,” said Anthony. “The challenge of starting a new program, the opportunity to teach Social Studies, and the engagement with the LOA community were my motivation to accept the job as Head Football Coach. Our goal for the football  program will be to strive for excellence in everything we do - academically, socially, and athletically.  We will build the program through education-based concepts including character education, relationship building, cutting edge strength and speed development, and the fundamentals of football.”

“During our search process, Coach Anthony showed the type of commitment and enthusiasm that it takes to start a new athletic program. His experience in some of the best football programs in the state, including his success at Buford High School will be invaluable to our football team.  However, what truly set him apart was his passion for teaching and helping students achieve the highest level of academic success.  We look forward to him arriving on campus and are very pleased to have him as part of our faculty,” stated Dr. Tucker.