Former Maryville coach George Quarles promoted to offensive coordinator at Furman

Former Maryville High School football coach George Quarles has been promoted to offensive coordinator at Furman.

Furman coach Clay Hendrix made the announcement Wednesday.

Quarles just finished his first season as an assistant coach at Furman with the title of associate head coach and responsible for tight ends.

Quarles replaces Drew Cronic, who was named coach at Lenoir-Rhyne University.

"George's input and impact on our program have been obvious this year, and the transition should be seamless," said Hendrix in a school release.  "We are excited to get started as we return Furman to championship caliber football."

Under Quarles, Andy Schumpert made the switch from wide receiver to tight end. He had 32 catches for 652 yards and led the team with nine touchdowns.

Furman led the Southern Conference in scoring offense at 32.6 points per game.

The Paladins finished 8-5, including seven consecutive wins during the season, and made it to the second round of the FCS playoffs.

More:Unprecedented run at Maryville leads George Quarles to Knoxville Sports Hall of Fame

Quarles, a member of the Greater Knoxville Sports Hall of Fame’s class of 2017, was at Maryville from 1999-2016 with a record of  250-16 and 11 state championships.

He was the winningest high school coach in America 2007-2016, and registered 200 victories faster than any high school coach in history.

Quarles attended Jeffferson County High School and helped the Patriots become a state power from 1982-84. He played quarterback, receiver and defensive back as the Patriots went 37-3 and advanced to at least the Class AAA semifinals each year during his career.

At Furman, he led the Paladins in receiving in 1988 during their march to the Division I-AA national championship.