According to the Tattnall County Board of Education Facebook page, Tattnall County High School Head Football Coach Pat Collins resigned Friday morning, September 4, 2026, following an incident that occurred earlier in the week, which was an “unintended racial slur.”

On Tuesday, September 1, the school and district were made aware of an incident that occurred during football practice on Monday afternoon. District administration followed personnel procedures and protocol to immediately begin investigating the matter.

Upon receiving the allegation, the district took prompt action. Within hours of being notified, the district placed Collins on indefinite suspension pending further investigation.

During the suspension, a thorough investigation took place with regards to the incident. After a formal apology to the team on Wednesday and for the betterment of the team, Coach Collins chose to resign from his position as head football coach as of Friday morning, September 4.

"His decision to resign reflects his personal choice to step away from the position and take responsibility for the circumstances surrounding the incident and its impact on our school community," according to the Facebook post by the school district.

"We recognize that incidents such as this can have a significant impact on our students, families, staff, and the broader community. The district remains committed to handling matters such as this with fairness, integrity, and appropriate accountability, while upholding the standardsz of respect and dignity we expect throughout our school system," said Tattnall County School Superintendent Dr. Kristen Waters in the post.

In addition to resigning from his coaching duties, Collins has resigned as a teacher. He taught Advanced Algebra and Weightlifting.