'Beloved' volleyball coach in Newnan loses battle with cancer
Coach James "Jmac" McCall. Photo courtesy of Heritage High School.
COWETA COUNTY, Ga. - The Heritage School in Newnan has announced the death of a "beloved" volleyball coach.
According to a post on Instagram, Coach James McCall, who was known as "Jmac" to his players and friends, died on Dec. 24 at Tanner Medical Center in Carrollton after being admitted to the ICU for complications arising from his recent chemotherapy treatments.
McCall coached varsity volleyball at the school. He was also a coach for the WGVA Chaos Volleyball club teams.
McCall started his coaching journey in 2005 at Lithia Springs High School. His accomplishments include a state championship in 2016 at Oak Mountain; and back-to-back state titles for Heritage in 2018 and 2019.
McCall coached at several volleyball clubs in metro Atlanta before WGVA. He has helped countless athletes move on to the collegiate ranks at every level, according to his bio on the club's website.
The school says that the coach had been "privately dealing with a cancer diagnosis" throughout the most recent season but chose not to burden his students with his health concern.
However, many of his current and former players had the opportunity to visit him and express their heartfelt goodbyes before his death, according to the school.
The school says that Jmac made an impact not only on the court but also in the lives of those he coached and that his dedication, passion and unwavering commitment was evident in every practice and game.