Habersham Central coach Benji Harrison named assistant athletic director

By: Brian Wellmeier

Longtime Habersham Central football coach Benji Harrison has been selected for a new leadership role in athletics, expanding his duties beyond the sidelines as the district’s programs continue to grow.

Habersham County’s Board of Education appointed Harrison as assistant athletic director at a regular meeting Monday, March 16, in a move officials say will strengthen day-to-day operations across all sports programs. 

Harrison will remain head coach of the Habersham Central Raiders while he works alongside Athletic Director Geep Cunningham on program logistics and administrative oversight.

Officials say Harrison has spent more than a decade at the helm of the Raiders, building one of the program’s most consistent runs in recent memory. Under his leadership, the team has reached the state playoffs eight straight years. More recently as a coach, Harrison also saw a Sweet 16 finish in 2018 and a push for the region title in 2025. 

Habersham County School System Superintendent Patrick Franklin commended Harrison as the ideal pick for the new position.

“We’ve probably had the most success athletically that we’ve ever had in a continued span of time across all our sports (under Harrison),” Franklin said Monday, adding that the position is needed as athletics continue to expand system wide.