DeCristofaro Out as Head Coach at Milton High School

By Mike Blum

Two years after he led Milton High School to the most successful football season in the team’s history, Howie DeCristofaro has resigned as the Eagles’ head coach.

DeCristofaro said his decision came after many “sleepless nights,” and stems from the outside pressures on a head coach in high school football that are not directly related to on-field coaching.

“It just wasn’t fun any more,” said DeCristofaro, citing some “divisiveness in the Milton community.”

DeCristofaro was the Eagles’ head coach for six seasons, the longest stay for a Milton coach since Peter Paul served in that position from 1987-97. DeCristofaro is the fourth Milton head coach since then. He said he may remain at Milton as an assistant coach, or may look for a coaching opportunity elsewhere.

After going 11-2 in 2014, winning a region championship and reaching the quarterfinals in the state’s largest classification, the Eagles had back-to-back losing seasons the past two years, going 5-6 in 2016 with a first round playoff loss.

The 2014 season was the best in school history, with the Eagles making it past the first round of the state playoffs for the first time. He is the only head football coach at Milton to finish his career at the school with a winning record.

Paul, who revived a Milton program that suffered through three straight 0-10 seasons in the mid-1980's, led the Eagles to six winning records and five playoff appearances in eight years, but lost his job one season after Milton went 7-4 and made the playoffs in 1996. He was 57-57 in 11 seasons with the Eagles.

Milton managed just one winning season the next eight years under two coaches, with Scott Walker leading the Eagles to an 8-3 mark and a playoff berth in 2008. But after two straight losing seasons under Walker, DeCristofaro took over as Milton’s head coach prior to the 2011 season.

Milton went 39-28 during DeCristofaro’s six seasons as head coach, making the playoffs five times. The Eagles went 26-9 from 2012-14 with three of the most talented teams in school history. Among the team’s standouts were running back Peyton Barber, now in the NFL; defensive end Carl Lawson, Barber’s former Auburn teammate and an all-SEC selection this past season; and several other Division 1 signees, including a number of college-bound linemen.

The 2014 Milton team gave state champion Colquitt County its toughest game in the playoffs, and featured a talented, experienced squad that did not leave much behind for the 2015 Eagles. Milton finished around .500 the past two seasons, closing out 2016 by playing its best football late in the season.

The Eagles started this past season 2-5, with all five losses coming against state playoff teams and their two wins against local rivals Alpharetta and Cambridge, who also made the playoffs. One of those playoff opponents was state runner-up Roswell, which was held to a season-low 17 points by the Eagles.

Milton scored a major late-season victory over region champion Lambert, and locked up a playoff spot with a dominating win in their regular season finale before losing 24-10 to unbeaten Norcross in the first round. It was the Eagles’ ninth first round loss in 10 appearances since Paul ended more than a decade-long playoff drought in 1992.

The Eagles return about half of their front line players from this past season’s team, including Region 5-AAAAAAA Defensive Player of the Year Justin Blanks. Much of the offense was also underclassmen, including athletic quarterback Jordan Yates, who started as a sophomore; running back Solomon Van Horse, who had some big late-season games; leading receiver Dash Hairston; and most of the offensive line.

With DeCristofaro resigning at Milton, there is now three open head football coaching positions in North Fulton. Northview has filled its vacancy, with Johns Creek and Centennial yet to announce replacements for coaches who left to take similar positions at other schools.

Image via Shutterstock