MORGAN COUNTY
For the past two seasons, Loren Purvis has been Morgan County’s offensive coordinator, but will now take on a new role at South Effingham High School, where he was recently named the new head coach.
In April, the former Bulldogs’ coordinator and assistant coach announced the news via his Twitter.
“It all came together fast, but let me be honest, I hate this timing,” Purvis said. “I feel like I let (Morgan County head) coach (Clint) Jenkins down with it being this late in the cycle. That just weighs on me. That’s not the person I want to be. This is also something I couldn’t say no to.”
Former South Effingham head coach Nathan Clark took the job at Lee County in the offseason, so athletic director Nick Smith and a group of five board members looked for the Mustangs’ new leader.
“Their AD called me a few weeks ago, and we talked about the possibility of me interviewing for the job,” Purvis said. “That kind of got the ball rolling. I was actually at South Effingham before I came to Morgan. So, the relationships I made there with the coaches and administration there (at the school) were already well established. I loved that place. It’s a great place to raise my kids.”
Purvis interviewed for the job, and in less than three weeks’ time, he was offered the position of head coach. The 2022 Region 4-AAA Offensive Coordinator of the Year then accepted it shortly after.
Purvis spent the 2019 and 2020 seasons at South Effingham under the direction of Clark. He was the Mustangs’ offensive coordinator and helped them reach the playoffs in 2019 as they went 6-5 overall.
Purvis also coached current University of Georgia offensive lineman Austin Blaske at SEHS, as well as former Vanderbilt and current University of Texas San Antonio running back Rocko Griffin.
In 2021, Morgan County hired Jenkins as its new head coach and he got Purvis to be his offensive coordinator. The two had previously coached at Dacula, where Jenkins was the head coach. Purvis was the Falcons’ running backs coach and passing game coordinator under Jenkins.
“I had told him I wanted to be an offensive coordinator and play-caller, but at the time, they (Dacula) had one already, and he was doing a heck of a job, so I knew I wasn’t going to replace him,” Jenkins said. “Coach Jenkins was gracious and understood what my goals and dreams were, and I left to go be the offensive coordinator at South Effingham down there in south Georgia.”
During his previous stint at SEHS, Purvis enjoyed his time, but he got a call from Jenkins when the head coaching gig at Morgan County opened up. So, Purvis decided to return and work under him.
“Clint is a heck of a dude, man,” Purvis said. “There was no doubt about that one when he called me (about the Morgan job). I definitely wanted to work for him. Plus, I had told him previously, I didn’t want to work for anybody but him unless I am working for myself. He’s a great coach and better man.”
Purvis’ plan was to stay at Morgan County for an extended period of time, but plans changed quickly.
“I really enjoyed my time there. I hate that it didn’t last very long,” he said. “When I take a job, I don’t expect to be there for a short period of time. So, when we got to Madison, my wife loved the town. She absolutely loved it. We were thinking we would be there a lot longer, but when this opportunity came up at South Effingham, I couldn’t turn it down. It’s been my dream to become a head coach.”
During his time at Morgan County, Purvis helped elevate the offense to new heights and break several program records. The Bulldogs averaged nearly 35 points per contest during their 2022 campaign.
Morgan County running back Jacere Cooper rushed for over 1,400 yards and 16 touchdowns last season. The Bulldogs also had wide receiver TJ Thompson have a breakout senior year. He hauled in 36 passes for 824 yards and 14 touchdowns, which set the single-season program record.
Purvis said he expects Morgan County’s offensive attack to pick up right where it left off last season.
“Let me tell you now, Morgan County has some kids that are going to be great offensively,” Purvis said. “They have some kids that are going to have a little bit more explosiveness this (upcoming) year. They have kids that have a lot of speed and burst … I am extremely excited to see how the (current) coaching staff will develop the freshmen that are now rising sophomores and so on.”
Purvis, who is an Irwin County alum, has 12 years of coaching experience at the high school level.
Purvis spent three years at Prince Avenue Christian in Athens under legendary high school football coach Jeff Heron. He also learned from former University of Georgia and University defensive coordinator and University of South Carolina head coach Richard Bell while he was at PACS.
The UGA graduate then transitioned from Dacula to South Effingham to Morgan County. Now, he is back with the Mustangs for what he hopes to be a long and successful ride as their head coach.
“I am extremely blessed to have this opportunity,” Purvis said. “I want to thank every coach that has helped me along the way. I am ready to take on this new challenge and see where it takes me.”
Purvis’ wife, Shannon, gave birth to a baby girl, Ellie, on April 11, which was a day before getting the head coaching job at SEHS. They also have a five-year-old daughter named Charlie Kate.
“It was a busy week. I will tell you that,” Purvis joked. “The news couldn’t have come at a better time.”