BUFORD – Twenty years ago, former Buford principal Mac McCoy found a young Bryant Appling conducting a weightlifting session in a gym around Atlanta. He quickly learned that Appling played at Lehigh and had some coaching experience near his hometown at Lithonia.
Appling had interest, and then-head coach Dexter Wood wanted to bring him on as a linebackers coach in his final season before passing the reins to Jess Simpson. All the while, Appling saw it as an opportunity to enhance his resume but not necessarily a long-term stint..
“Don’t be surprised if you’re here for a while,” Wood told him.
On Aug. 16 against Milton, Appling begins his 21st season in Wolves’ garb. He worked his way from linebackers coach to being hired as head coach in 2019. He opened his tenure at the helm with three consecutive titles and Buford hopes to add another in 2024 and avenge its defeats.
Appling, his wife LaSauna Appling – also a teacher within the Buford school system – and their three children carry deep Buford ties.
“It’s important to me. This is home,” Appling said. “I truly believe this place is great and they take care of us in a bunch of different ways. I’m happy that we get to do life, and get to do football life, in Buford. It’s really special. It gives you extra juice to get the kids to represent this town every Friday night.”
Appling’s biggest growth came under Simpson, now a defensive line coach at Georgia Tech. Once Simpson left to begin his career in the college ranks, Buford went outside the program and hired John Ford from Roswell. Ford carried a 21-5 record over two seasons, but something didn’t fit right when the Wolves didn’t hire from within.
Wood and then-athletic director Tony Wolfe met and recommended Appling to the school board five years ago. It became an easy decision and one that paid off immediately, despite falling short of the state title game in each of the past two seasons.
“We had a lot of support,” Wood said. “We were so excited that it worked out for us to hire him.”
Players of past and present are indebted to Appling and not only the success they had under him, but the life qualities they learned from him.
Baker played linebacker his sophomore year, but didn’t really want to take on the position. But based on the coaching style of Appling, he took it on and scored the first touchdown of his career on Buford’s defense.
“I believed in what he was doing,” Baker said. “He holds you to a different standard than anyone else would. He’s a winner and he knows how to fight dirty. I don’t know what it is about him, but you want to die for the man.”
AJ Holloway, a senior and South Carolina pledge, transferred from Buford to Grayson after his sophomore season. Immediately after making the switch northward, he saw a difference. He gradually integrated Holloway into the program and taught him a different standard, which includes a more-aggressive coaching style.
“He coaches the same in the game as he does in practice,” Holloway said. “It’s the same mentality everyday, and you know exactly what to expect. He’s one of the favorite coaches I’ve ever had.
“He really is a legendary coach.”
Appling, through-and-through, represents himself as a Buford man. Baker said he might as well be from the town, because he constantly recognizes the love shown to his head coach throughout the small, yet rapidly-growing town.
Appling’s story carries similarity to many others. Once they start at Buford, it’s hard for them to leave. Wood called it the “secret sauce” to the school’s athletic program.
“There are opportunities for them to take other jobs, but they realize this is the best fit,” Wood said. “We have so many veteran coaches who have been here for a long time.”
Twenty years after taking his first job at Buford, Appling found a place that’s more than a resume builder. It’s a place he will never want to leave.
“It’s more than community. It’s more than family,” Appling said. “It’s more than home.”
