Stuart Chester, has been a staple of the Cartersville sports program. He was part of the football coaching staff but has mostly been known as the head baseball coach, and a good one at that. During his 21 years at Cartersville, Chester won 532 games which included six state titles. On Tuesday, it was announced that the coaching legend resigned from his post at Cartersville to take the same position at Buford High School.
The Cartersville baseball program enjoyed success during Chester’s tenure and was named ‘Program of the Decade’ for the first ten years of the 2000’s. The program won the Class AA state championship in 2001 and 2002, then followed those wins in 2003 with a Class AAA title. The Canes then won Class AAA again in 2008, 2009, and 2013.
Chester will take his 563 career wins in 26 to a Buford program has three state titles — winning Class B in 1977, Class AA in 2011, and Class AAAA in 2015.
WBHF spoke to Cartersville City Schools superintendent Dr. Howard Hinesley stated that the school system would now begin accepting applications for the position.
Hinesley was led to believe that Chester was offered a job in January. A booster for the baseball program told Hinesley recently that Buford was hot on Chester’s trail. The booster expressed a desire to keep Chester and wanted the athletic program to know that his services were being courted. The superintendent further stated that Chester accepted the job following his second visit to the school.
Cartersville was 22-10 this past season and finished fourth in Region 5-AAAA. The Canes were ousted in the first round of the Class AAAA state playoffs by perennial power Blessed Trinity.
Chester follows coach Tony Wolfe at Buford. The Wolves were 20-14 in 2017 and lost to Wayne County in the Class AAAAA state tournament’s second round.