BEARVILLE — Pierce County’s Lady Bears basketball program is looking for a new basketball coach after head coach Robert Douberly tendered a letter of resignation announcing his retirement.
Douberly, who has coached nearly 43 years including 34 fulltime as an assistant or head coach, came out of retirement in 2020-21 to join Lacie Evans’ coaching staff. He served three years as an assistant, helping PCHS reach the ‘Elite 8’ that season and the firstever ‘Final Four’ in program history in 2021-22.
Douberly took over the program as head coach in 2023-24 after Evans stepped down following eight seasons.
“You know when it’s time,” said Douberly of his retirement. “I told my team after our last game (February 24, first round at eventual state champion Murray County) I was stepping down. Sometimes the best thing you can do as head coach is get out of the way and let somebody else move the team forward.”
The veteran coach said he sent the Pierce County Board of Education the letter stating he was resigning and retiring about the same time.
The last three years pushed Douberly, a 1976 graduate of Ware County, over the 20-year mark as a head coach in basketball that included stints at Ware County (boys), Ware Magnet (boys), Bacon County (girls), Bradwell Institute and Pierce County, winning two region titles with the Lady Bears.
He built a successful boys’ and girls’ tennis program at Ware Magnet, winning 10 region titles. He led the Eagles/Lady Eagles to two cross-country region titles. Douberly also coached tennis at Bacon County.
Douberly, the 2001 Teacher of the Year at Ware Magnet, was the recipient of 12 Georgia Athletic Coaches Association (GACA) Coach of the Year awards, twice a Region Athletic Director of the Year, and a Class A State Athletic Director of the Year.
Douberly coached two years of tennis at Brewton Parker as an assistant, helping his son before joining PCHS.
“Working with my son was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up,” he said. “It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity to work with your son like that. He left and went to work at Georgia Southern and I came home. I was off a year before Pierce County called.”
Douberly said the 17 years he served as athletic director and building a program at Ware Magnet were significant.
“That gave me opportunities, not just to coach, but also to affect athletics in different ways,” he said. “That led to 10 years serving on the Georgia High School executive committee doing a lot of policies and procedures and rules.”
Douberly was a region secretary for 18 years that served 18 schools.
“This allowed me a chance to be on the other side of different things,” he said. “My job was to oversee the region, organize it and pay all the bills that came up and make sure everything was run properly. I enjoyed those times.
“Starting the Ware Magnet program was another opportunity I couldn’t turn down. How many people get to start a program and build it from scratch? It was a very unique situation. When we started, we didn’t have anything. It was quite an experience where I formed a lot of friendships. We did achieve a lot of success out there.”
Douberly says he will miss coaching basketball.
“When it’s in your blood, you’re going to miss it,” the veteran coach said. “I love coaching kids, and to me, that’s what it’s all about. I think that’s what it should be about. But, you know, for over 40 years, I had a lot of fun doing it right.
“I won’t miss the bus rides, though. I will remember the relations and relationships developed.”
