Tony Boyd: East Paulding High School
Boyd was inducted into the Georgia Dugout Club Hall of Fame in 2019.
Bio updated 9/5/2024
Tony Boyd likes to describe himself as a small town guy.
So it’s no secret that the Alabama native would rather not be in the spotlight. He was inducted into the Georgia Dugout Club Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2019.
“Sometimes in this game, you feel like you are not really making a difference,” Boyd said. “But I guess somebody does notice what you’re doing. I’m surprised and so appreciative (of the Hall of Fame induction). It definitely means a lot.”
Boyd began his coaching career at Wills High School in Cobb County after graduating from the University of Alabama in 1983. He was an assistant in football, girls basketball and baseball, mainly coaching the freshmen and junior varsity teams for three seasons before moving over to Pebblebrook High School. Boyd coached the varsity baseball program for nine seasons and was also a football and boys basketball assistant.
He landed as the head baseball coach at Holy Innocents’ in 1995 and coached the varsity program until 2005, averaging 13 wins per season.
In 2006, he was an assistant baseball coach at McEachern before taking over the baseball program at East Paulding where he remains.
Boyd’s career record is 571-433 entering the 2025 season. He has won three region titles, all at East Paulding, and guided the Raiders to 19 postseason appearances. His postseason resume includes four trips to the quarterfinals and one trip to the semifinals.
He was Region Coach of the Year in 2007 and 2008, and he served as an assistant coach for the Georgia Dugout Club All-Stars in 2009 and in 2019.
He has helped countless players get into college, but perhaps his prized pupil is Major League pitcher Zach Wheeler, a first round draft pick in 2009.
“Tony is one of those guys that you know what you are getting when you play his teams,” former Carrollton coach Ryan Zaideman said. “His teams every year are well-coached and disciplined.
“He’s an excellent mentor as well. He’s a great mentor to his players. He’s one of those that even though we played in the same region, if I called him, he would try to do whatever I asked. He’s a great ambassador for the game and an even better person.”
Boyd said he values building relationships as much as he does winning.
“One of the most rewarding things is when those players come back around, and they tell you they appreciate what you did,” he said. “Those are good memories. It makes you feel good.”