GAINESVILLE - Six days after leading Hebron Christian girls basketball to its fourth state championship in seven seasons with the program, the winningest head coach in Georgia high school history is turning her efforts towards guiding Gainesville to similar feats.

Jan Azar, along with her longtime assistant Demetrius Frazier, takes the helm of a once-storied Red Elephant girls basketball program fresh off having wrapped up her 29th year coaching with a 30-1 record and 17th state championship.

“We made a commitment four years ago that we were going to hire elite-level coaches. Not only are our student athletes, school, and community worthy of that endeavor, but it’s what the tradition of winning our athletic legacy is founded demands and deserves; and across the board we’ve held true.” said Gainesville Athletic Director Adam Lindsey.

“Jan Azar isn’t the latest example that we’re making good on our promise, but as the standard bearer for what elite even means in coaching, she’s the idyllic byproduct signifying we’ve done our due diligence. We could not be more excited or grateful that she’s now a Red Elephant.”

In her seven seasons with Hebron, Azar led the Lions to six state championship games while amassing a 202-14 record. She spent her years in coaching prior to Hebron building the Wesleyan girls basketball program not just from the ground up, but into a state and national powerhouse. In 21 seasons with the Wolves, Azar went 571-133 - 36 of those losses coming in her first three years - and won 13 state championships.

Between the two schools, Azar’s teams have won 86% of the 906 games she coached, and made 24 state championship game appearances.

Currently among nine candidates up for MaxPreps National Coach of the Year, Azar has been named the Atlanta Journal and Constitution’s State Coach of the Year 15 times, she won the Bobby Cremins State of Georgia Girls Coach of the Year (an all-classification distinction) in 2002 and 2010, has been named the Atlanta Tipoff Club Metro Atlanta Coach of the Year seven times, and in 2022-2023 was among 23 high school coaches across all sports and from across the country selected by the NFHS Coaches Association as a National Coach of the Year.

Coaches Azar and Frazier will be guests on this week's Behind the G coming out Thursday. You can listen to Behind the G on all podcasting platforms.