Deerfield-Windsor welcomes new headmaster, John Abernathy

ALBANY – As someone who spent most of his life in Macon, new Deerfield-Windsor School Headmaster John “J.G.” Abernathy and his family have some acclimating to do, and one thing they’ve noticed after moving south of the gnat line is, well, gnats.

“I think that’s been the biggest adjustment,” Abernathy, who likes to spend time outdoors, said. “We’ve already had our run-ins with them. My son told me ‘These little flies are getting on my nerves.’”

On campus in Albany, the former football coach, teacher, dean of students and facilities director is preparing to fill some big shoes, those of retired Headmaster Allen Lowe.

Due to Lowe’s more than three decades at Deerfield-Windsor, that part of the transition is going smoothly, the 32-year-old Abernathy said.

“I think the beautiful thing about this place is this place does not need to be fixed,” he said. “Coach Lowe has done a phenomenal job in building this place into what it needs to be over the last seven years. There’s not a whole lot that needs to be fixed. It’s just a great place.”

A graduate of Mount de Sales Academy in Macon, the new headmaster at the private school with about 530 students had an early attraction to education. After earning degrees in political science and a master of arts degree in teaching from Mercer University and an education specialists degree from the University of West Georgia, Abernathy’s first classroom job was as a history and special education teacher at Jones County High School, where he worked for three school terms. 

From there, he moved to physical education teacher in 2020 at Tattnall Square Academy, before moving to administration as dean of students the following year. In 2023 he became upper school principal at Tattnall Square, and in 2025 he added director of facilities to his duties.

“In 2020, right during COVID, everybody was at home and Tattnall’s head football coaching position came open,” he said. “I got a call, so I did it. I spent a year as a PE teacher and football coach. In November 2024 (after the) football season, I stepped down as head football coach in pursuit of a head-of-school position.

“I’ve always known I wanted to be the leader of an organization, so when I stepped down from the head football job, I said, ‘Let’s go put my name in for some jobs and get some interview experience.’”

In preparation, Abernathy’s mentor at Tattnall Square, Head of School Travis Absher, encouraged him to apply for the facilities director’s position to expand his resume. And when it came time to make a bid for a school where he felt he would fit in and could have a positive impact over the long haul, Abernathy had three schools on his list: Tattnall Square, Deerfield-Windsor and a third school he declined to name.

“It (Deerfield-Windsor) is a similar cultured school to Tattnall,” he said. “We knew we wanted a place where we could establish roots and be there for a long time. I’m also not one who takes a job to get a different job, if you know what I mean.”

The headmaster became familiar with Albany through football trips to play the Knights in southwest Georgia. So when Lowe retired, it seemed to be a message, with Abernathy being selected as one of two finalists and going through a three-day interview process.

“I said, ‘Lord, are you sending me a sign?’” Abernathy said. “It (interview) was very thorough. You realize this community is willing to put the time into this search so they get everything that they’re looking for.”

Getting used to southwest Georgia should not be a problem as Abernathy’s family, which includes wife Haley and children ages 2 and 5, enjoys cooking out in the backyard around the swimming pool, and Abernathy himself is an avid hunter. He is looking forward to trying quail hunting for the first time if the opportunity presents itself.

“You hear about south Georgia hospitality, and we’re moving all our stuff and we pull in and there is half the football team there to help us unload,” Abernathy said. “There’s no doubt this is where the Lord has called us to be.”

With a solid school and system in place, the headmaster said his role will be to build on and make some improvements that build on the legacy of success.

“We have a very talented faculty that cares about these students,” he said. “I think our faculty strives to meet the needs of our students and makes them accountable to our core values: honor, encouragement, character and service.

“Ultimately a school is about the kids and the teachers. That’s what I’ll do to make it my own: Make things better for the teachers and transition to work together. That’s been a wonderful thing.”