Tennessee high school football program hires 11-time state champion as next coach

The balance of power in East Tennessee high school football got a big jolt on Tuesday, as the Webb School of Knoxville announced the hiring legendary Maryville coach George Quarles to lead its program.

Quarles led Maryville to 15 state title game appearances and 11 state titles, posting a 250-16 record at Maryville over 22 seasons between 1999 and 2016. He was one of the fastest coaches not only in the state, but in the entire country to reach 200 career wins.

A seven-time State Coach of the Year, he was inducted into the Tennessee High School Football Hall of Fame in 2018.

“We are excited to announce George Quarles as our new Head Football Coach. Coach Quarles has a track record of excellence as a head coach, having won 11 State Championships and being the fastest head coach in the nation’s history to reach 200 wins,” Webb said in a press release. “We look forward to the impact Coach Quarles will have on our football program and community. Join us in welcoming he and his family to Webb!!”

From 2004 to 2008, Quarles led Maryville to an eye-popping 74-game winning streak, which included four consecutive state championships. Five years later, he led his teams on another dominant undefeated stretch, where Maryville won 44 consecutive games.

Quarels’ return to the sidelines will shake up Tennessee football

Following the 2016 season — the first since 2004 that Maryville didn’t at least play in the state championship game — he left to take the associate head coaching job at Furman University. He was a wide receiver with the Paladins in 1987-1988.

After five seasons at Furman, he took over the head coaching job at East Tennessee State, replacing Randy Sanders, who retired after just four seasons. Quarles’ tenure in Johnson City didn’t last long either though, as his teams struggled to a 6-16 record in his two seasons there.

For the past two seasons, he has served as the tight ends coach at Austin Peay, but now returns to the high school level looking to turn things around in Knoxville.

The Spartans finished just 16-16 the past two seasons after Hall of Fame coach David Meske resigned in 2022 after a nearly 40-year career at the helm. Meske won seven state championships (1996, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014) and was also a runner-up three times.

With the 58-year-old Quarles taking over, the program could be back on top of the podium very soon.