Athletic director leaves his mark on Eagles sports

By AMBER PERRY amber@appenmedia.com

MILTON, Ga. — Gary Sylvestri, a family man with a strong faith in God, is winding down after more than a decade as athletic director at Milton High School, where he oversees one of Fulton County’s largest sports departments.

Sylvestri, aka Coach Sly, started coaching football at Milton in 2010. Two years later, he was promoted to athletic director. Along the way, Sylvestri also helped brand the school.

“We made it the ‘M,’ and the empire,” he said.

“Everyone knows us for that now.”

Milton’s athletics department, which has 23 varsity sports, 90 coaches and around 1,050 athletes, has racked up major milestones during Sylvestri’s tenure.

In 2018, the Eagles won their first football state championship when they defeated the Colquitt County Packers in the finals. That game was also the first time since 1995 that a team outside of South Georgia and Gwinnett County won in the state’s highest classification.