BROOKLET — Matt Huntley doesn’t coach anymore but he is still the leader of a successful team.

Effingham County’s former head softball coach was recently selected by his peers as the Region 2-AAAAAA athletic director of the year.

“I try to be as involved as I can in all the sports,” Huntley said.

Huntley’s efforts haven’t gone unnoticed by school officials.

“Matt does a great job,” Principal Amie Dickerson said. “He is a good organizer, he supports his coaches and he is always positive. He wants to do what’s right in every kind of situation.

“He’s also really good with kids. They just draw to him and they respect him. That makes a huge difference.”

Dickerson said Huntley remains highly competitive even though he is no longer on the field.

“He wants every Effingham team to win every game,” she said.

Huntley credited others for his honor.

“It’s really the coaches and the administration here,” he said. “We’ve gone through a principal change and the transition from Mr. (Billy) Hughes to Mrs. Dickerson has just been flawless with athletics. It’s really looking good and both of them have been extremely supportive and allowed us to do what we need to do.”

Dickerson replaced Hughes following his departure for another job early in the current school year. Like her predecessor, Dickerson makes regular appearances at the Rebels’ games.

“It’s nice to have the flexibility of a supportive principal behind us,” Huntley said.

“We work in a good county and they provide us with a lot of stuff and a lot of opportunities,” Huntley said. “We are just fortunate to have the ability to go do what we do. My coaches are in the trenches and they work hard everyday.

“They make me look good so I have to give all the credit to them.”