SouthPaulding_SportsProgram_2025.indd

Football Coaches

NAME: Dana Saunders YEARS EXPERIENCE: 18 years HOMETOWN: Stockton CA. AWARDS: Asst. Coach of the Year HOBBIES: Spending time with family

NAME: Billy Swanson YEARS EXPERIENCE: 6 years HOMETOWN: Acworth, GA. HOBBIES: Sports and Music

BIO: Coach Swanson is a 2017 graduate of Harrison HS (Kennesaw) and a 2021 graduate of Birmingham-Southern College. He earned a B.S. in Mathematics before coming back home to coach at his alma mater. Now, he is excited to join the sta’ at South Paulding and continue to grow the program.

FAMILY: Wife -Maria 3 Kids.-Xavier-Mara-Marianna BIO: Dana Saunders brings 18 years of coaching experience with successful stops at Alexander, New Manchester, and South Paulding High Schools. Known for his ability to develop talent at every level, Coach Saunders specializes in training wide receivers, helping athletes refine their technique, improve their fundamentals, and maximize their performance on the field. His reputation as a dedicated teacher of the game has made him a trusted resource for players aspiring to compete at the next level. NAME: Alphonso Tate YEARS EXPERIENCE: 3 HOMETOWN: Augusta, GA. HOBBIES: Football, DJing, playing drums, and hunting FAMILY: Marlee, Darnell, Denzel, Zoe, and Luna (dog) BIO: Coach Tate has lived in both Wahiawa, Hawaii, and Augusta, Georgia, bringing a diverse background and wealth of experiences to everything he does. He spent 11 years working in the medical field, serving in areas such as tactical rescue, emergency rooms, hospitals, urgent care, and EMS. Now a member of the school district’s safety team, he continues his passion for service by coaching and training football athletes helping shape them not only as players but as future leaders on and o’ the field.

NAME: Jason Vaughan YEARS EXPERIENCE: 6 years HOMETOWN: Kentwood. MI. AWARDS: Apart of state championship 2023 HOBBIES: Serving at church, Fishing, Anything sports. FAMILY: Ashley Wife. Children Jalen, Kennedy, Roman, Blakely BIO: I have over six years of football coaching experience, beginning in Parks and Recreation in Oxford, Alabama. My journey in the sport has taken me through several impactful roles, including serving as an Equipment Manager at Jacksonville State University, coaching wide receivers at the Freshman level and served as the Recruiting Coordinator at Martinsburg High School in West Virginia, and currently coach ing defensive backs at South Paulding High School.

NAME: Craig Young YEARS EXPERIENCE: 4 years in High School and 8 years in youth and middle school. HOMETOWN: Mogadore, OH. AWARDS: Apart of state championship 2023 HOBBIES: Football, Hunting, Fishing, & going to the lake. FAMILY: Elizabeth, children - Michael, Allie, Andrew, Erin, & Caden

BIO: I have been married for 12 years, have five children and I teach at Dugan Elementary School. I’m passionate about seeing students succeed in the classroom and on the field. I have been in the South Paulding district for over 20 years and take great pride in the role I play in the Football program.