By Jeff Devine, Dale County Chronicle
MIDLAND CITY — Dale County High School announced Tuesday, March 10 that Will Garner has been hired as the new head football coach for the Warriors.
Garner takes over leadership of the program with a focus on building a strong culture centered on both athletic performance and personal development for student-athletes.
Dale County High School Principal Matt Humphrey announced the hire in a statement, highlighting Garner’s enthusiasm for the program and his commitment to developing young athletes both on and off the field.
“Coach Garner brings incredible energy, passion, and a vision for building a championship culture here at DCHS,” Humphrey said. “He is committed to developing our young athletes not only as football players, but as leaders in the classroom, in the locker room, and in our community.”
Garner most recently served as special teams coordinator and outside linebackers coach at Dothan High School, a position he accepted in 2024. In that role, he oversaw the program’s special teams game planning and implementation while also working alongside the defensive coordinator on defensive game plan installations.
Prior to joining the Dothan Wolves staff, Garner served as head football coach and athletic director at Daleville High School from 2021 to 2024. During his tenure, he helped rebuild the program, ending a 24-game losing streak and guiding the Warhawks back to competitiveness in Class 3A’s Wiregrass Region.
While at Daleville, Garner also helped develop three All-State players and oversaw multiple responsibilities as athletic director, including athletic department budgets, scheduling, compliance, facilities management, and hiring and mentoring coaching staffs across the school’s athletic programs.
Earlier in his coaching career, Garner served as defensive coordinator and strength and conditioning coach at Charles Henderson High School in Troy from 2019 to 2021. In that role, he directed year-round strength and conditioning programs for athletes across multiple sports while also contributing on the varsity football defensive staff.
Garner previously worked within Dothan City Schools as a defensive line coach at the now-defunct Northview High School in Dothan from 2017 to 2019. During that time, he was part of a coaching staff that helped transform a struggling program that had gone 0–18 into a competitive team within two seasons.
In addition to his football responsibilities, Garner has also coached baseball at the high school level, including serving as freshman head baseball coach at Northview High School and as a varsity defensive assistant during his time at Charles Henderson.
Humphrey said Garner’s leadership and experience building programs will help strengthen the Warriors football program while positively impacting student-athletes across campus.
“Warrior football has always been about tradition, toughness, and pride, and Coach Garner is ready to build on that tradition while leading our program into an exciting new era,” Humphrey said.
Garner and his family were welcomed by the school community following the announcement, with supporters expressing excitement about the future of Warriors football.
“The future is bright,” Humphrey said. “The work begins now. Fear the Spear.”
