Heading into the 2025 season, the word 'new' resonates with the Southwest Football program. A new scheme, new attitude, new look and it all rotates around a new head coach and coaching staff.
 
Coach Les George takes over the Bears this season, marking his first head coaching job. Even though it is his first time as head coach, he is no stranger to not only the profession in general but also the MACCC Conference. He played offensive line at Mississippi Gulf Coast and later became a coach there before spending the past three seasons as assistant head coach at Holmes. He began his career as a graduate assistant at Belhaven in 2010.
 
Thus far through practice George has learned a great deal about being a head coach which includes inputting his style and setting a tone.
 
"It is stepping into a situation where you are not only having to implement a culture but implement schemes offensively and defensively with players who have never been in the system before," he said.
 
In addition to scheme, George and his new coaching staff are also generating sense of belief amongst the players, one that he hopes will have a domino effect.
 
"I think that this coaching staff has done a tremendous job," he said. "Everyday, being organized and having a plan of what we are doing and making sure that we instill that belief in the players and that the players believe. And I think that when it goes from the coaches to the players, then everyone on campus believes, then the community and so on and so forth."
 
Under George's leadership are co-offensive coordinators Earvin Moore and Carter Hankins. Also helping out on the offensive side is assistant coach Jordan Skinner who will work with Coach George leading the offensive line. On the other side of the ball, defensive coordinator Darius Buck leads the charge, and he will be assisted by Terrence Cody (Defensive Line) and Chris Stamps (Linebackers). Former Bear Jackson Fortenberry returns to Southwest and will work with the Special Teams.
 
"The thing that I love the most about this staff is that there is a lot of cohesion there and everybody functions well together," George said. "Whether we are working or going to get something to eat in the cafeteria, we are always hanging out. Everyone gets along really well." 
 
The staff will work with a mostly new roster. Among the key returners for Southwest on the offensive side is the running back trio of Chris Hunter, Keeghan Rodgers and Jalen Wiliams. In the receiving corps, Antione Johnson will help lead a young but talented group of pass catchers.
 
The Bears also have a pair of talented quarterbacks in sophomore Charlie Fair and freshman Silas Corder, who George feels that even though they are competing against each other, their camaraderie and level of competition bring out the best in both.
 
"They are both doing great things and that is a competition there that we are going to take day-by-day," George said. "Those two guys, what I love the most about them is when they are practicing out there, it is not about winning the job it is just about executing the play and being the best version of themselves when they are out there playing. They work very well together. Those are two guys who are very unselfish. They are competing but it is constructive."
 
As far as the guys up front, it will be a new look for the Bears. "I think everyone offensive line-wise is new," George said. "There isn't one from last season on the offensive line. We are trying to get them in the right direction. They are a young group, they are fresh, but they are working really hard."
 
On the defensive side, the line is also mostly new, but George is excited not only for the talent within the group but the leader in Coach Cody and the job he has done thus far in preparing them.
 
"I think that Coach Cody is doing a really good job with those guys, and I believe he has done really well with building a relationship with them and he coaches them hard, but they respond," he said. "There are some fresh faces, and we have a couple of transfers that has helped with (Miquon) Merriweather and (Andrew) Washburn then we have a lot of freshmen."
 
Another group that is mostly new is the linebackers but when it comes to the defensive backs, it is arguably the most experienced as six key returners are back from last years' squad.
 
"The linebacker room is going to be completely new," George said. "In the secondary, we have some returners in Gary Bailey who is doing a really good job and Skylar Husband who is going a really good job as well. You (also) have Darrell Coleman and Donny Anderson, Cardell McDowell and Martavius Jones who are getting after it."
 
George said that coaching this group has been very fun for him, even joking that he can't believe he gets paid for it. He adds that it goes beyond just coaching them on the field, it is also helping to develop them in many aspects in life.
 
"I love these players and I love watching them grow, not only on the field but as people," he said. "It doesn't even feel like a job. I wake up everyday excited about what I am doing, I am very blessed to be doing what I am doing."
 
The Bears kick off the 2025 campaign on August 28 at 6:30 p.m. at Holmes. The Bulldogs are coming off of a 7-3 season and an appearance in the 2024 postseason losing in the first round to eventual runners-up East Central.