Why JR Kirby left Henry County football after three weeks, returning to Covington as coach

Posted by author February 20, 2025 Football

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J.R. Kirby grew increasingly uncomfortable as Henry County’s football coach, leading to his resignation three weeks after accepting the position in Paris and his eventual re-hiring at Covington last Friday.

Kriby told The Commercial Appeal that undisclosed details emerged about his role as the Patriots coach that left him questioning his decision to accept the job last month.

Kirby replaced James Counce who left for Rockvale, but resigned just weeks removed from his Jan. 27 start. He interviewed last Friday with Covington — where he’s spent the previous eight seasons, the last six as head coach. Covington announced that evening that it had re-hired him.

“I had to come back here and re-interview,” he said. “I’m humbled and excited to be back.”

Kirby said he resigned at Henry County without a job or promise that he’d be able to resume coaching the Chargers.

“The interview process was thorough and thoughtful,” Covington principal Carlin McGlown said. “We understood that this was more than just a hiring decision—it was about the future of our football program.”

Kirby’s time on the job at Henry County

Kirby said his exit centered on two reasons — not being told his responsibilities as a teacher and not being told about forthcoming changes to the school’s daily schedule during his two-week interview process.

“They could not answer me,” Kirby said of his requests to learn what subject he’d teach. “I thought they had to work the numbers but that ended up not being the case.”

Kirby said he was unaware of Henry County’s shift to a shorter athletic period to close the day — a change Kirby found unsuitable for offseason training — until after he’d started work.

“If they would’ve said that, I probably wouldn’t have taken the job,” he explained.

Henry County’s administration would not comment on specifics of Kirby’s departure, but the county’s director of schools, Dr. Leah Watkins emailed a statement to The Commercial Appeal.

“Henry County wishes Coach Kirby success as he returns home to Covington,” Watkins said. “Our community, administration, and staff had hoped he would become a valuable part of the Henry County football legacy of excellence. Throughout his time with us, our community, administration, and coaching staff fully supported his transition and the initial work he began with our team.”

Kirby said he and his family have received backlash from Henry County supporters for his perceived lack of commitment on social media. However, he says his “plan was to be at Henry County” — evidenced by the changes he’d begun to make to the locker room and multiple house tours he took with his wife.

Ultimately, he says he felt uncomfortable uprooting his wife and three children permanently.

“It’s a good place and I can’t say enough about the kids,” Kirby said. “They’re gonna have a great team.”

“I bet people there have changed jobs for the betterment of their family and that’s all I’ve done,” he added.

Both Watkins and Kirby expressed regret that there was no opportunity for Kirby to speak with his players before his departure.

“I wish I could’ve talked to the kids and told them I was leaving,” Kirby said. “I didn’t feel right walking back on that campus with everything that’s been said since then.”

Offensive coordinator Blake Goforth served as Covington’s interim coach during the past month. Kirby returns after leading the Chargers to an 11-2 finish and TSSAA Class 3A quarterfinal appearance last season. Kirby has a 60-16 career record through six seasons.

“Coach Kirby’s track record speaks for itself,” McGlown said. “His commitment to our student-athletes, his understanding of Covington’s culture, and his passion for this program made him the right choice. (The Kirby family’s) return isn’t just about football; it’s about bringing back a leader and his family who understands what it means to be part of Charger Nation.”

Wendell Shepherd Jr. is The Commercial Appeal’s high school sports beat writer. Reach Wendell at wendell.shepherd@commercialappeal.com or on X, formerly known as Twitter, @wendellsjr_.