THOMASVILLE – It’s a sad day for the Thomas County Central football family. 

Legendary head coach Ed Pilcher, the architect of Central’s five state championship teams in the 90s and winner of 250 games in 30 seasons as a head coach, died on Thursday after a prolonged sickness.

Pilcher coached at Central from 1991 to 2008 and led the Yellow Jackets to state titles in 1992, ’93, ’94, ’96 and ’97. His head-coaching career started at Early County before his arrival at Central. He also coached at Bainbridge and Berrien. He finished with a 250-116-1 record.

“Through him, Thomas County first believed that they could compete with anybody,” said Central radio announcer Randy Young. “We had stretches before he arrived where, you had a Charlie Ward, you had a Terry White or somebody that was just a star that carried the team for a stretch, but he was the first guy that brought that program consistency to the table. It didn’t matter who we were lining up against, you felt like you had a legitimate shot of not just competing but winning. That was not the case before he arrived.”

He forever changed Yellow Jackets football which was his intention from the start.

“I think it’s high time those folks downtown should be the ones wanting to be as good as us,” he famously said at his introductory press conference with Central regarding rival Thomasville.

He succeeded. Pilcher compiled 169 wins in coaching the Yellow Jackets from 1991-2007. 

He was in attendance for Central’s 30-year anniversary celebration of the 1992 state title team that was recognized at a home game this past football season.

Bill Shaver served as Pilcher’s assistant from 1994-2008, even taking over the play-calling duties for Central’s split-back veer offense after one season with the Yellow Jackets. He got to see Pilcher one last time in the hospital on Tuesday.

“We talked football for about 35 minutes, and both of his daughters said that was the most alert he had been all day long. He’s been an integral part of my life for a long, long time. I learned so much from him as a coach, as a person. I told him Tuesday night, ‘Coach, you’re like my second dad,’” said Shaver, who succeeded Pilcher as Central’s head coach when he left for Bainbridge following the 2007 season.

“He’s going to be missed in our community, he’s going to be missed by my family.”

He will be missed by Central faithful, on and off the field.