One of the most difficult things to keep track of around here at AHSFHS.org are the coaches and their won/loss records. It is a process that seems to never end with coaches getting fired or resigning immediately following a season and throughout the off season. Thanks to some of our friends who keep us informed of coaching changes the process is somewhat easier than it could become.

          Keeping track of coaching changes is just one facet of the never ending job. The other involves keeping track of the wins and losses for each of these coaches. Over seven thousand coaches have walked the sidelines of the high school football fields the past one hundred years in Alabama and most of them we now have in our records.

            The most elite coaches can be found by looking at some of the information derived from our database over the years. The coaches with the best winning percentage would be a great place to start. A look into the active coaches with the highest winning percentage and 100 wins across the state may yield a few surprises.

          Laron White the head coach at Tanner and David Lowery from Brantley lead this list which may come as a surprise to some. Tanner has found success under the guidance of Coach White since 2003 by winning ten games in a season a total of eight times and going to the Super Six the past two seasons winning a title in 2012.

           The Bulldogs from Brantley have been very successful under the guidance of their coach since 1999 winning twelve of fourteen region championships and two state championships including the most recent. As a matter of fact six of the top twenty coaches won state titles in 2012.

           Only two coaches in history have left the high school coaching ranks with winning percentages greater than ninety percent. They are Bill Clark (106-11) and James Porch (115-12-2). Coach Clark should be a familiar name from his glory years at Prattville before moving to the college ranks while Coach Porch spent his years at Verbena, Ft. Payne and Oneonta.

          The coaches with the most overall wins is a list of names recognizable to most every Friday night fan in the state. Leading the way is Buddy Anderson of Vestavia Hills. Coach Anderson became the coach of the Rebels in 1978 and has remained with the school since. He is only thirteen wins behind Waldon Tucker the all time leader in coaching wins with 309 and could become the coach with the most wins in 2013 with a great season or early in 2014. Coach Anderson won titles in 1980 and 1998 with the Rebels.

          If you can help us fill in some blanks for any of the missing coaches it would be greatly appreciated. Take a look through the team history of any team and you may find missing coaches. If you can be of assistance email us at AHSFHS.org. We strive to be as accurate as possible but there is endless research yet to be completed. As always we will continue to research as long as there is some source available.

          All the coaching records at AHSFHS.org can be seen at Coaching Records.

David Parker
AHSFHS.org
Email: dparker@ahsfhs.org