Tommy Atha and Alan Parish have each received Coach of the Year honors for their respective work with the football and girls’ cross country teams in 2009-10. These awards are voted on annually by fellow varsity head coaches and awarded by the athletic director.
Atha is entering his ninth year as head football coach, and also serves as head coach of the Middle School girls’ basketball team. Last season, he led the football team on a “Cinderella run” that ended in the semifinal round of the Class A State Championship. For his leadership, he was named Rome News-Tribune Coach of the Year in January. Under Atha, the football team has made six appearances in the state playoffs. The Middle School girls’ basketball team also saw success last season, winning the region championship with a perfect record of 17-0. For that, Atha was named Middle School Coach of the Year by the Northwest Georgia Tipoff Club. During the summer, Atha heads up Darlington’s 7-on-7 Football Camp with over 600 players and coaches involved. He also teaches Middle School P.E. at Darlington.
Parish is entering his third year as Darlington’s head cross country coach, and also serves as the distance coach for the school’s track and field team. Last season, he led the girls’ cross country team to win yet another region title and finish seventh at state. They were also named City/County champions. While at Darlington, he has held additional head coaching positions with the Middle School cross country and varsity swim and dive teams. Prior to his arrival at Darlington in 2005, Parish spent two years in Lusaka, Zambia, coaching basketball and swimming at the American International School in Lusaka. He also helped start the Running for Life sports camp in Kiev, Ukraine, which introduces underprivileged youth to the sport of track and field. Parish teaches graphic design and videography at Darlington.
