MACON, Ga. — The Stratford Academy Eagles will have new leadership at the helm of the football team when they hit the gridiron next season. The private school announced Thursday that head coach Mark Farriba is retiring at the end of the 2021-22 school year.
Farriba has spent 13 years leading the program, from 2003-2006 and again from 2013-2021. In that time, the team won a GISA 3A state title, a GISA 3A runner-up title, and made an appearance in the GHSA A private final four.
He wasn’t new to the Eagles when he came onboard in 2003, as he was previously a student there. He played football, basketball and baseball.
"Stratford Academy football will always have a special place in my heart. I have been blessed with great teammates, coaches, players, and families at Stratford," said Farriba. "The opportunity that Grady Smith gave me to coach at a school where I was a student for 12 years and a part of our first football team in 1970 has been incredibly special to me. But, most of all, I am thankful for the relationships with our players and coaches over the years and what they have meant to me and my family."
He will stay on as the school’s athletic director after his retirement. Anyone interested in being the school’s next football coach can email him at mark.farriba@stratford.org.