One of the more sought-after football positions in the state of Tennessee has been filled. After sorting through over forty applications and conducting numerous interviews, the Forrest Rockets have tabbed Justin Palmer to be their next head football coach.

   Coach Palmer had an illustrious high school playing career as he was named to the 4A All State team as a QB at Hamilton High School in Hamilton Alabama by both the Alabama Sports Writers Association and The Birmingham News. He led his Aggies to a 10-2 mark and a second-round playoff berth during that 2003 season.

   He began his coaching career as an offensive coordinator at Whites Creek High School in 2010. From there he moved to Shelbyville Central High School as their offensive coordinator from 2011-2014. After a stop at Creekwood High School in 2015, he returned to Shelbyville to accept his first head coaching position in 2016.

   He remained in Shelbyville as the Golden Eagles head man from 2016-2019 and in that time his teams compiled an overall record of 33-14 including a 9-3 record and a second-round playoff berth in 2018 and an 11-2 mark and a quarterfinal appearance in 2019. His teams featured a high-flying offensive attack that averaged 39.5, 33.5, 35.5 and 30 points per game in each of his four years at the helm.

   He took over a 5A program at Cordova High School in Cordova Alabama in 2020. He helped oversee a Blue Devil program that was making a jump up from 4A to 5A in that COVID year.

   From there he took over a program at Obion Central High School in 2021 that had seen the Rebels win only 18 games in the previous 8 seasons with only one playoff appearance in that time. After taking over, Palmer won 16 times in his three seasons with back-to-back playoff appearances in 2022 and 2023.  

  Palmer is a University of Alabama graduate and is married to his wife Brittany. They have two children.