Coaching Staff
Jeff Brown- Head Coach
As a player at Brunswick High School, Coach Brown was a four-year letterman in baseball (infielder and pitcher) and a two-year letterman in basketball. This experience afforded him the opportunity to attend Young Harris College as a pitcher and utility player. During his tenure he served as Captain and was a part of two 50-plus win seasons. At the time, Young Harris College was ranked second in the Nation.
After earning his associate’s degree in science, Coach Brown transferred to Kennesaw State University where he continued his baseball career. He played his final two years at KSU as a relief pitcher and was elected team captain his senior year. At KSU, he also earned the prestigious Vicky Martin Total Person Award. Coach Brown spent time in the summers playing for the Wilson Tobs of the Coastal Plains League.
Coach Brown graduated with a bachelor’s degree of science in health and physical education and continued his education at Georgia State University, where he earned a master’s degree in health and physical education. He finished his education specialist degree in coaching pedagogy from Valdosta State University in 2017.
Coach Brown is in his 12th year of teaching at the high school and middle school levels. This is his 8th year at Woodstock High School.
He joined the Woodstock HS Wolverine baseball program in 2013, serving as the Junior Varsity Coach in his first season and as the Varsity Pitching Coach for the next three seasons. He led the pitching staff to an ERA of 3.41 in 2014, 2.69 in 2015, and 1.97 in 2016.
In 2017, his first year as the head coach, he led the Wolverines to a 25-17 record. He led them to their first Sweet 16, Elite 8, Final 4, and State Championship Games in school history. The team finished second in the state with a historic playoff run, winning four consecutive series on the road. He has continued to build on that success leading the 2018 team to the first Region Championship in school history. In 2022, he led the Wolverines to their first State Championship.
In Coach Brown’s seven seasons as the head coach, he has led the Wolverines to the playoffs in each season, has won four region championships, is four-time region coach of the year, is a two-time county coach of the year, the 2017 GA Dugout Club 7A Coach of the year and the 2022 GA Dugout Club 7A Coach of the year.
Coach Brown is a Physical Education teacher at Woodstock High School. He resides in Canton, Georgia with his wife Ashley and their sons Camden (5) and Shepherd (3).
Ben Abner- Varsity assistant
Coach Abner grew up in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, playing baseball throughout his childhood and into high school. He continued his baseball career at Georgia Southern University where he majored in Mathematics and Computer Science. Coach Abner was an outstanding outfielder for the Eagles earning Freshman Academic All-American honors in 1982, All-American 1st Team honors in 1983, and All-American 2nd Team honors in 1984. Coach Abner set the single season home run record at Georgia Southern in 1984 with 27 home runs, which was not surpassed until 2011.
Coach Abner played with Team USA from 1983-1984. In the summer of 1984, Coach Abner was drafted in the Major League Baseball Draft by the Montreal Expos in the 5th Round. He played 7 years of professional baseball in the minor leagues with the Expos, Pirates, and Cardinals.
Coach Abner has been coaching in the area for the last 15 years. He spent 11 years coaching at Etowah High School, serving as the hitting instructor and first base coach. Coach Abner has been on staff with the Wolverines since 2017.
Coach Abner lives in Woodstock, GA with his wife Amy, and they have a daughter, Emma, in college.
John duran
Coach John Duran has been teaching and coaching at Woodstock High School since 2017. Prior to Woodstock he was an assistant coach at Schley County High School, where in three years, he won 2 GHSA State Championships and once finished in the Final Four.
Coach Duran is a graduate of Kell High School where he played shortstop and centerfield under Donnie English. After high school he played baseball at Darton Junior College where he was awarded the conference gold glove as a shortstop. After one year he transferred to Georgia Southwestern State University where he is the all-time NCAA school leader in assists and second in career hits for GSW. In 2011 he led the Peach Belt Conference in assists during the regular season and tied a conference record for assists in a game. He graduated from GSW in 2014 with a degree in History with teaching certification.
He currently lives in Ball Ground with his beautiful wife Nicole. and their daughter Izzy (2) and their son Maximus (1).
Reed Nixon- JV Head Coach
Coach Nixon was born and raised in Marietta, Ga. where he played baseball up through high school and graduated from Marietta High School. As a player he played the corner infield positions as well as catcher and pitcher. He received his Bachelor's Degree in Kinesiology from the University of Georgia in 2016, where he coached at Athens Academy for 2 years along with predominantly working with the catchers and infielders.
Coach Nixon has been on staff since 2017 and has served as the JV Head Coach since 2018. He lives in Woodstock, with his wife Anna, and teaches Physical Education at Carmel Elementary.
Brandon Marcus
Coach Marcus was born in Albany, GA and raised in Baconton, GA. He played short stop and pitcher in high school and graduated from Mitchell Baker High School. Coach Marcus received a baseball scholarship from ABAC, where he played infield for two years. As a junior, he transferred to Albany State University where he finished his baseball career. He graduated from Albany State University with a Bachelor's Degree in Business Management.
Coach Marcus then spent a year coaching at Albany State as the hitting coordinator and 1st Base Coach. Coach Marcus then transferred his coaching skills to the high school level where he coached football and baseball at Windsor Academy in Albany, GA from 2012-2016. He served as an assistant on the baseball staff where he primarily worked with the hitters, infielders, and served as the 1st Base Coach. He also was the Defense Line coach for the football team.
In 2017, Coach Marcus moved to Cherokee County and currently lives in Woodstock with his wife Kirby. He enjoys spending time with friends, and all outdoor activities. He is active in his Church, loves going to sporting events, and loves exercising.
Coach Marcus has coached at Woodstock since 2017 and works with the Infielders and Hitters.
Clay Cross
Coach Cross grew up in Kennesaw, GA where he graduated from North Cobb High School. He played Football and Baseball for the Warriors and earned as baseball scholarship to East Georgia College. He played baseball there for a year as a first baseman and a pitcher. When he finished his baseball career, he attended GA Southern where he graduated with a business management degree. He started working in the home load industry for 3 years and decided that he wanted to get his teaching certificate. He is currently working at Woodstock Middle School. He and his wife Tori reside in Canton, GA. Their daughter is due to arrive in January of 2020.
Coach Cross will work with the outfielders and hitters.
Parker Acuff
Coach Acuff grew up in Woodstock and attended the school across the street where he was a pitcher and lettered 3 years on varsity. He continued his playing career at Georgia Highlands College. He graduated from GHC with a degree an Associates Degree in Biology and went on to earn a Bachelors Degree in Health and Physical Education from Kennesaw State University along with a minor in Coaching. Coach Acuff teaches PE at ET Booth Middle School and has been coaching baseball at WHS since 2020. He will serve as the pitching coach for the JV team.
GARRETT HODGES
Coach Hodges is from Effingham County in South Georgia, where he graduated from South Effingham High School and was a three-year Varsity letterman in baseball (outfielder and pitcher). After his high school career, he earned a baseball scholarship to Kennesaw State University where he started four years and earned All-Conference honors three of those years. In his final season, Coach Hodges earned 1st Team All-Conference. He ended his career in the Top 5 All-Time in Homeruns and Doubles in KSU history! Coach Hodges graduated from KSU with a Master’s Degree in Teaching and is in his first year of teaching English at WHS. He and his fiance, Josey, reside in Canton, GA. Coach Hodges will be working with our Freshmen team, along with all our Outfielders and Hitters.