Jason Cameron to return to Savannah as Calvary Day's offensive coordinator
It didn't take long for the Calvary Day football program to replace highly-regarded offensive coordinator Russell DeMasi, who recently returned to the college coaching ranks when he took at job at Wayne State University.
On Thursday, former Jenkins and Vidalia coach Jason Cameron, another coaching star from the Coastal Empire, announced he will join the Calvary Day staff running the offense. His wife, Brooke Cameron, a former star athlete at Jenkins who played soccer at USC Aiken, will take over the Cavalier volleyball program.
Cameron had an impressive run at Jenkins in his first stint as a head coach. He led the Warriors to the State quarterfinals in his first two seasons, before Jenkins reached the state semis in 2019. He won a pair of region titles and posted a record of 33-7 before moving on to lead the Vidalia program for the last three seasons. He went 16-15 and won a region title with the Indians, before stepping down at the end of this season.
"I'm really excited to get the chance to work with Coach (Mark) Stroud and the talented athletes on the football team," Cameron said. "I'm glad to be back in a place where it's all about family -- my wife Brooke will be coaching volleyball and our son Jackson will be attending the school. "
Cameron will get a chance to work with a pair of four-star, rising senior prospects in quarterback Jake Merklinger and tight end Michael Smith, who recently committed to play at South Carolina. He'll have one of the strongest receiving groups in the southeast with Doopah Coleman, Thomas Blackshear and Caden Arnold in the mix.
"For me, it's going to be about getting out of the way and letting those playmakers do what they do," said Cameron, 37. "It's going to be fun -- you can put the ball in anyone of their hands -- the offense is so dynamic."
Cameron said he is also excited to join an experienced, highly-respected staff that includes head Coach Mark Stroud, who picked up his 250th career win in November, and defensive line assistant Donald Chumley, the former UGA star who lead Savannah Christian to a state crown in 2011 after runnerup finishes the previous two seasons.
Cameron said his family is in the process of selling their Vidalia home and hopes to settle back in Savannah sometime in May. He will be a teacher at Calvary Day, but isn't sure in what capacity yet.
There are plenty of changes going on in the sports department at Calvary Day. Phillip Lee, from the Calvary class of 2003, will take over as the school's athletic director at the end of the school year for Shon Hardy, who is stepping down after two years in the job.
Lee has served as Calvary's head baseball coach for the last nine seasons.
"I'm excited about the opportunity to become the athletic director," said Lee, 37. "I know I have some big shoes to fill with Shon (Hardy) and Chad (longtime Calvary Athletic Director Chad Griffin) before me. I've learned a lot from them and I hope to continue with the excellence we've had in sports throughout the years."
Sceptor Brownlee will take over as the head boys basketball coach -- replacing Chad Carver, who will stay on as a teacher and golf coach at the school. Carver has led the program for the last eight seasons, and the team went 15-10 this year, but failed to reach the playoffs.
Brownlee, a native of Indiana, played college ball as a point guard at the University of San Francisco.
Brownlee is a coaching veteran who had three seasons as an assistant with the Mississippi State women's program, after a stint with the Old Dominion's women's team. He was an assistant for four years with the men at Georgia State and was a graduate assistant under Bruce Pearl at Tennessee among his 13 years coaching at the college level. He also coached for four years at King's Ridge Christian in Alpharetta.
"I'm excited to get this chance to lead the program at Calvary Day," said Brownlee, 43, who is the Director of Student Life at Calvary Day. "We've got some really good pieces in place and a lot of talent and I think we can take it to the next level."
Savannah Christian's Jones to step down as athletic director
Savannah Christian recently announced that Julie Jones will step down as the school's athletic director as she will focus on her role as the varsity volleyball coach, where she will start her 26th season at the helm this fall. SCPS is expected to make a hire as her replacement soon.
Dennis Knight covers sports for the Savannah Morning News. Contact him at Dknight@savannahnow.com. Twitter: @DennisKnightSMN
This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Calvary Day football program hires Jason Cameron as offensive coordinator
