Cougars head coach Cam Akers. (Patriot Publishing)
By TROY SARVER
Patriot Publishing
After last Friday night’s season ending defeat to Hidden Valley, Pulaski County head coach Cam Akers said he would take a couple of weeks off before looking into what could be done to improve the program, but Akers will not get that opportunity.
Pulaski County Schools Superintendent Dr. Robert Graham released a statement on Thursday afternoon saying that Akers was being relieved of his duties after five years as head of the Cougars’ program, which culminated in a 0-10 season this year.
“After careful consideration and evaluation of the future direction of Cougar football, we have made the difficult decision to move in a new direction, and Mr. Cam Akers will no longer serve as head football coach,” the statement said. “We are deeply grateful for his service and wish him and his family all the very best in their future endeavors.”
Akers, a 2008 graduate of Pulaski County who played football for former Cougars coach Jack Turner, came to Pulaski in 2021 as an assistant coach and to work with the middle school program after serving as head coach at Auburn High School the previous five years where he had a 20-30 overall record.
Akers’ job responsibilities changed, however, in June 2022 when he became the interim head coach after Mark Dixon resigned/retired due to health considerations. He was named the full-time coach that August.
In his tenure as PC head coach the Cougars were never able to obtain a winning season as he compiled a record of 14-37. The program had one postseason appearance in 2023 where they lost to William Byrd, 45-21, in a Class 3D first round matchup.
After a 3-7 season in 2024, Akers began to make changes including going to a shotgun style offense that preseason. He also took over as defensive coordinator this year after the Cougars’ defense struggled in a 3-7 campaign in 2025.
This preseason Akers said he was returning to the basics looking to improve fundamentals and get rid of bad habits he believed his players were displaying.
“It’s our job to take these young men and put them in the best position possible. There is no excuse for lack of effort or fundamentals,” Akers said. “We have a good group of kids that want to be coached.”
The worst was yet to come, though, in the 2026 regular season, which saw Pulaski County sustain its first winless season since 1975. It was the program’s first 0-10 season since its second year in existence. It concluded with a 22-21 loss to Hidden Valley last Friday, which was the Titans’ first victory in three years and put Pulaski County’s record at 1-15 over the program’s last 16 games.
There was no replacement named in Thursday’s statement, but assurances that the process of finding a new head coach would begin immediately.
“We will be moving forward as quickly and thoughtfully as possible to conduct a comprehensive search for our next head football coach,” the statement read. “Our goal is to identify a dynamic leader who will be a great fit with our school division, uphold the proud tradition of Pulaski County, and continue fostering an environment of excellence, character and teamwork.”
