Justin Palmer leaving OC football job for Forrest

BREAKING SPORTS NEWS: Justin Palmer is moving east.

The Obion County Central High School football head coach has accepted the head coaching position at Forrest High School in Chapel Hill, located in Marshall County about 190 miles east of Troy and 50 miles south of Nashville between interstates 65 and 24.

He confirmed the move to The Messenger and met with his Rebel players this afternoon.

Palmer spent three years at Obion Central, posting a record of 16-17. The Rebels reached the Class 4A state playoffs each of the last two years and finished with a winning record (6-5) this past season.

In nine years as a head coach, Palmer is 53-47.

Palmer is familiar with the Middle Tennessee area, having spent several years as the head coach at Shelbyville.

Palmer replaces Eli Stephenson, who was fired after the 2023 season, which ended with a 40-14 loss to Smith County in the first round of the Class 2A state playoffs.

Stephenson was 45-36 in six seasons as the Rockets’ head coach but just 7-14 in the last two years.

The Messenger will have more on Palmer’s decision to take the Forrest job on Wednesday’s print edition.