When Matt Dickmann was told by one of his assistants that there was a coaching vacancy at a school in the metro-Atlanta area, the Seminole Ridge High School football coach took it as a sign.

Dickmann, who spent the last eight seasons as the head coach of the Loxahatchee, Fla., program, had been looking for a job in Georgia in order to give his family more opportunities.

That’s where Harrison came in.

What’s more, Dickmann applied for the very same position at Harrison when it opened after the departure of David Hines following the 2011 season.

Dickmann said his wife originally told him about the opening when looking for a prospective place to live, and he contacted former Harrison coach Bruce Cobleigh, with whom he is acquainted. Dickmann eventually applied for the job and interviewed for the position, but he didn’t pursue the job further after realizing it wasn’t a good time to leave Seminole Ridge.

A year later, when the job reopened following the midseason resignation of Marty Galbraith and the brief return of Cobleigh to the coaching reins, Dickmann had a different feeling.

“It just wasn’t the right time (last year) because of various circumstances, but a year later, when the job came open again, I was very interested,” Dickmann said. “I have a lot of faith, and that’s something my wife and I talked about. It’s like, ‘What bigger sign than that do you need?’ But I did a lot of praying about it and thinking.”

Dickmann’s hiring became official a few days before Christmas, when he resigned his position at Seminole Ridge.

The 47-year-old Dickmann, who is currently preparing for his move to the Kennesaw area, said it will be nice living close to his job, as his commute to Seminole Ridge was 60 miles. He and his wife are looking at two houses near the school — the furthest is 3 miles away.

“It’s about my family,” said the father of two daughters, ages 8 and 11. “I think it’ll be a good place to have the kids go to school and raise the family.

“I’ve heard a lot of good things about the area and Harrison, so I really think it’s the best for my family.”

Dickmann said that, as a football coach, you have to be “all-in” but he couldn’t do that with his long commute in Florida without taking time and resources away from his family.

“You have to be sold-out for the kids, and that’s what I was doing, but it was financially costing on my family,” Dickmann said. “It was either take a lesser role — step down — or take the Harrison job, and everything just fell into place. So that’s what we are going to do. We are going to give 110 percent.”

Dickmann said, when it comes to coaching, he thinks Georgia is the place to be.

“Georgia is top-notch the way they have their facilities and programs, so it’s a win-win for my family, and it’s also a good situation for me, too, for a job,” Dickmann said.

The new coach has talked on the phone to several of the current assistants at Harrison, and said that he is looking forward to meeting with them in the next few days. He plans to hold his first weight-training session with the team Monday.

Dickmann said weight-training will be an area of focus for the Hoyas. While he is open to a lot of possibilities as far as the offense and defense the team will run, he believes it all starts with training.

“We will build through the weight room and evaluate what we have in all aspects and what we need to do,” Dickmann said. “We’ll move forward, but our foundation will be in the weight room.”

Dickmann has heard that the Harrison players are dedicated, so he will focus on doing everything he can to make them successful on and off the field.