The Fannin County High School Rebels football team has hired a new head coach, Jim Pavao, former defensive coordinator at Gainesville High School. During Pavao’s time at Gainesville, the Red Elephants won one state title (2012), and four region titles. Gainesville also reached the final four and an additional state title game.Pavao began his coaching career in the collegiate ranks at Norwich University in 1981, as a graduate assistant working with the offensive line. A year later he coached the defensive line at Davidson College, where he coached two All Conference players during his two year stint. Pavao spent the next two years coaching the same position at Princeton University where he had two players named All Ivy League.

Pavao then spent 16 years as the defensive coordinator at Maryville College, where he was responsible for a plethora of top ranked Division III scoring defenses. 2001 saw the beginning of his six year stint at Burke County, where he produced four of the top six defenses in school history, including 10 shutouts from 2004-2006. During his 25 year coaching career, Pavao has been predominately a 3-4 coach.

The Fannin County High School released this statement:

Fannin County High School is excited to announce Jim Pavao as their head football coach, and director of football operations 6 through 12. Coach Pavao has been the assistant head coach and defensive coordinator at Gainesville High School (5AAAAA) in Georgia since 2007. During his tenure at Gainesville he led a defense that helped win 5 region championships, 1 state runner up and 1 state championship. In addition to these accomplishments, Gainesville also reached the state semifinals 2 other times. Coach Pavao has consistently had the Gainesville defense ranked as one of the top scoring defenses in the state of Georgia.

Coach Pavao began coaching in 1981 at Norwich University, where he was a graduate assistant offensive line coach. His other stops in college include Davidson College and Princeton University. In 1985 Pavao was named the assistant head coach and defensive coordinator at Maryville College. His career at Maryville College spanned 16 years and during that time he developed some of the top-ranked scoring defenses in Division III. In 2001, he stepped away from college coaching and began coaching at Burke County High School in Georgia, where he coached for six years. During his time at Burke County, Pavao fielded four of the best scoring defenses in school history. From 2004 to 2006, his defenses had 10 shutouts.

Coach Pavao brings a tremendous amount of experience and success with him to Fannin and we believe that he is the coach who can build a consistently successful football program at Fannin County!