Co-athletic director Michael Holland and the OCHS administration needed to fill four spots — boys basketball, boys wrestling, boys soccer and basketball cheerleading — for next year.
Two of those spots have been filled; two remain open.
Stanley Lattimore (wrestling) and Dayon Toomer (boys basketball) were hired this spring, but Holland is still looking for new boys soccer and basketball cheerleading coaches.
Lattimore is back in Lexington, taking over as the Patriots' head wrestling coach following the departure of Steve Mason to Commerce High School. Lattimore, who was hired in March, began his coaching career as a defensive coordinator at OCHS before moving to Cedar Shoals, where he coached football and wrestling.
“He was the first person that me and coach Brianna Dickens and (OCHS principal) Mr. Bill Sampson thought of, just because of his familiarity with the program, his familiarity with the community, and you know, he’s been here; he knows the success,” Holland said.
A part of the Patriots’ 2021 championship-winning coaching staff, Lattimore’s experience and history in Oglethorpe County made him a prime target for the job.
“He knows what it takes to be successful, and he's real familiar with our kids,” Holland said. “It was more of us saying, ‘Hey, what do we (need) to do to get you here?’ Because he was definitely our first choice.”
Lattimore will also join Holland on the football staff as the defensive line coach. The rest of Holland’s staff remains unchanged from 2025, as the Patriots look to build on their 6-5 season.
In addition to his duties as OCHS football’s defensive coordinator, Mike Campbell will continue as assistant coach for softball for a second season. Campbell, who is the head coach of the baseball team, stepped into the role while his daughter, Reese, played for OCHS.
The softball team made the first round of the playoffs last season under the direction of coach and co-athletic director Brianna Dickens.
“It’s actually been really easy, because Coach Dickens is so easy to work with,” Holland said. “If I say, ‘Hey, I gotta have Coach Campbell during this time,’ she rearranges her practice. If she says that I gotta have him at this time, then I don’t mind flipping (his practice), because it’s easy for me.”
One of the school’s longest tenured coaches, this fall will mark Dickens’ eighth year at OCHS. In addition to softball, she will remain as the girls basketball and co-track and field coach for the upcoming year.
Her continuity is contrasted by the boys basketball program, which is on its third coach in five years following the departure of former UGA and NBA player Carlos Strong.
Former Bacon County basketball coach Dayon Toomer has replaced Strong and has already started summer camps with a turnout of “about 25” athletes, Holland said.
Toomer also will likely take over the weightlifting program, replacing Mason.
The athletic department is still searching for two more positions: basketball cheerleading and boys soccer.
Holland said the department initially is looking at candidates in the school system to replace basketball cheerleading coach Ruth Wilson, who retired. Morgan Williams will continue as the football cheerleading coach.
In contrast, the search for a new boys soccer coach is wide open.
Brandon Thixton left the program at the end of a 1-14 season. The program hasn’t had a winning season since 2022.
“We just need some continuity because two different head coaches in the past two years, it’s not really setting that team up to build when you have that much turnover,” Holland said. “We’re going to try to get somebody in who’s a soccer guy who wants to take over the program, wants to take ownership of the program, and build it.”
OCHS alum Madison Nimmons will remain as the girls soccer coach for a second season, and Maurice Freeman returns as the boys track and field coach.
The remainder of OCHS’ coaches — Campbell (baseball), Brandon Adams and Darius Tompkins (cross country), Josh Austin (girls wrestling), Dale Blalock (golf) and Brianne Harrison (volleyball) — will return for 2026.
Harrison and the volleyball team were the brightest spot of OCHS’ athletic year, defeating Bremen 3-1 to claim the 2025 Class A state championship on Oct. 29.
With the win, volleyball joined boys cross country (2019), wrestling (2021) and girls track and field (2021, 2022, 2024) as the fourth program to win a state title in the past seven years.
“I definitely think we have been trending upwards in a lot of different areas,” Holland said.