A summer of change has brought plenty of new faces to the Greene County football program, but first-year head coach Chris MacFarland believes the Tigers are making steady progress as they prepare for the 2026 season.
With fall camp approaching, Greene County has spent the offseason building chemistry, learning a new system, and competing against other programs through 7-on-7s, padded camps, and offseason team activities.
“We’ve had a good summer,” MacFarland said. “June, we kind of packed with going four days a week. Mondays and Wednesdays are heavy lift days for us as a team, with a lot of fundamental individual work, getting things down.”
The Tigers have focused on improving technique and fundamentals while also testing themselves against outside competition. Greene County has participated in 7-on-7 events, offensive and defensive line camps, and padded organized team activities (OTAs) that allow players to compete against different opponents.
“It was nice to see our kids compete,” MacFarland said. “We’re really just trying to get our kids to learn how to compete against each other and see where we are with our plays and how our techniques and fundamentals are getting better.”
Greene County will continue that preparation this week when the Tigers travel to Westside High School in Augusta for another OTA event featuring several teams in a round-robin format.
While practice gives coaches an idea of where their team stands, MacFarland said competing against other programs provides a better measuring stick.
“It’s always better when you can see another color uniform, a different group of kids, and see how our kids compete with them,” he said. “We’re excited to see where we are and how we’ve progressed from June.”
One of MacFarland’s biggest priorities after taking over the program was putting together his coaching staff. That process is now complete, with 10 coaches working throughout the program.
MacFarland will handle offensive play-calling, while his son, Garret MacFarland, will lead the defense. Garret brings experience from previous coaching stops, including working with the defensive line at Rome High School, spending two years as a graduate assistant at Berry College, and coaching at Thomas More University in Kentucky.
“He comes with some good experience,” Chris MacFarland said. “He works tremendously well with the kids.”
The Tigers also retained David Holland from the previous staff, a move MacFarland said has been important for the program’s transition. Holland continues to work with strength and conditioning and will also handle special teams.
“He is vital to what we’re doing,” MacFarland said. “He’s been with us in the weight room. He’s doing a tremendous job with our strength program.”
Greene County is entering another transition period after having three different head coaches in three seasons. Still, MacFarland said the players have embraced the changes and are focused on moving forward.
“These kids are resilient,” he said. “They understand the past. They just want to move on, and I think that’s why they’ve been so receptive to the new staff.”
The Tigers’ senior class has played a key role in establishing the culture of the new program. MacFarland said the group has shown strong attendance and leadership throughout the summer.
“Seniors have done a nice job of stepping up,” he said. “They had really good attendance this summer, and I’m excited about what the senior class can do for us.”
MacFarland has challenged those seniors to think about the legacy they want to leave behind at Greene County.
“We always talk about this as their year,” he said. “How do you want to be remembered?”
While the seniors will be counted on for leadership, MacFarland said there is talent throughout the roster, with players at every grade level capable of making an impact.
“There’s talent throughout this whole lineup, the whole roster,” he said. “There are leaders in all grade levels, and they all lead in different ways.”
As the Tigers get closer to the start of the season, MacFarland believes continued growth and trust within the program will be key.
“We’re excited to watch how our kids are growing, how they’re getting used to us and how they’re getting used to each other,” he said. “We’ve had some really good leadership step up, and I’m excited to see where they’re at.”