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By KEVIN ECKLEBERRY

Daily News

When the Callaway High boys’ basketball team begins the 2020-2021 season, there will be a new person calling the shots.

Marcus Johnson, who has been the head boys coach at Callaway Middle School for the past two seasons, is replacing Terry Hayes as the coach at Callaway High.

Johnson, a 2007 graduate of Lanett High who earned a degree from Jacksonsville State in 2014, enjoyed a successful two-year stint at Callaway Middle that included a county championship this season.

Callaway Middle capped an exceptional season with a victory over Gardner Newman in the county-championship game in January.

Callaway Middle also won the City-Wide Christmas Shootout in December.

Before coming to Callaway Middle, Johnson coached at Lanett High and Smiths Station.

Johnson replaces Terry Hayes, who outside of a two-year stretch has been the only head boys’ basketball coach Callaway has ever had.

Hayes won a state championship at Hogansville High before becoming the coach at Callaway when the school opened its doors in 1996.

Hayes enjoyed tremendous success at Callaway, leading the program to multiple appearances in the state semifinals, and the team won four consecutive region titles beginning in 2013.

Callaway (14-8) finished third in Region 5-AA last season and lost to Model in the first round of the state tournament.

Hayes is also a long-time football coach at Callaway, and he has also coached baseball.

OF NOTE: For much more on the hiring of Marcus Johnson, see Wednesday’s sports section.