Longtime high school coach Justin Cunningham enters his first season at Sewanee, serving as the offensive line coach for the Tigers in 2025.
The Cowan, Tenn., native played offensive line at Austin Peay and started his coaching career with the Governors as a graduate assistant and assistant offensive line coach in 2010. He then worked two years as the offensive line coach at Smyrna High in Smyrna, Tenn., with the Bulldogs reaching the first round of the TSSAA playoffs in 2011, before serving one season as offensive coordinator and offensive line coach at Harnett Central High in Angier, N.C.
Cunningham returned to Tennessee in 2014 as offensive coordinator and offensive line coach at Springfield High in Springfield, Tenn., helping the Yellow Jackets to an 8-4 mark in 2014 and the second round of the state playoffs and a 9-4 record and a quarterfinal appearance in the playoffs in 2015. He then worked three seasons as offensive line coach and run game coordinator at Blackman High in Murfreesboro, Tenn., with the Blaze reaching the quarterfinals in 2016 and the second round of the playoffs in 2017 and 2018.
He spent one year at Rockvale High in Murfreesboro as offensive coordinator and offensive line coach in 2019, the first year for the Rockets program, before serving three seasons as head coach at Franklin County High in Winchester, Tenn. The Rebels improved from 2-8 in his first season to 5-6 and then 7-4, reaching the first round of the playoffs in his final two campaigns.
Cunningham worked the last two years as offensive line coach and run game coordinator for legendary high school coach Gary Rankin at Boyd Buchanan School in Chattanooga, Tenn. The Buccaneers finished 13-1 and state runner-up in 2023 and posted a 12-1 record last season, losing in the semifinals of the playoffs.
Cunningham earned his bachelor’s in Education from Austin Peay in 2009 and received a master’s in Curriculum and Instruction from APSU in 2016.
Justin Cunningham's All-Time Coaching Record
| Year |
School |
Position |
Record |
Postseason |
| 2010 |
Austin Peay |
Graduate Assistant/Assistant Offensive Line Coach |
2-9 |
|
| 2011 |
Smyrna |
Offensive Line Coach |
6-5 |
First Round State Playoffs |
| 2012 |
Smyrna |
Offensive Line Coach |
1-9 |
|
| 2013 |
Harnett Central (N.C.) |
Offensive Coordinator/Offensive Line Coach |
1-8 |
|
| 2014 |
Springfield |
Offensive Coordinator/Offensive Line Coach |
8-4 |
Second Round State Playoffs |
| 2015 |
Springfield |
Offensive Coordinator/Offensive Line Coach |
9-4 |
Quarterfinals State Playoffs |
| 2016 |
Blackman |
Offensive Line Coach/Run Game Coordinator |
9-4 |
Quarterfinals State Playoffs |
| 2017 |
Blackman |
Offensive Line Coach/Run Game Coordinator |
9-3 |
Second Round State Playoffs |
| 2018 |
Blackman |
Offensive Line Coach/Run Game Coordinator |
10-2 |
Second Round State Playoffs |
| 2019 |
Rockvale |
Offensive Coordinator/Offensive Line Coach |
0-10 |
First-Year Program |
| 2020 |
Franklin County |
Head Coach |
2-8 |
|
| 2021 |
Franklin County |
Head Coach |
5-6 |
First Round State Playoffs |
| 2022 |
Franklin County |
Head Coach |
7-4 |
First Round State Playoffs |
| 2023 |
Boyd Buchanan |
Offensive Line Coach/Run Game Coordinator |
13-1 |
State Runner-Up |
| 2024 |
Boyd Buchanan |
Offensive Line Coach/Run Game Coordinator |
12-1 |
Semifinals State Playoffs |
Updated 8/25/25
