2017 Class 1A Coaching Changes
Class 1A New Hires: Best Hire: Best Job: Toughest Job: | |
Region 1 Linden - Andro Williams Andro Williams leaves Linden with a very impressive 110-23 record over the past ten seasons. Every team qualified for a playoff spot and none lost more than four games in a season. He has moved on to W.S. Neal where he will serve as the head football coach. 2017 Season - Demetrice Jackson Demetrice Jackson has been promoted to the head coaching job at Linden in 2017. He has served as an assistant at the school most recently as the defensive coordinator the past two seasons. He is a graduate of Francis Marion and the son of renowned basketball coach Woodie Jackson. Fruitdale - Ryan Little Ryan Little leaves Fruitdale after just one season with a 3-7 record. He has accepted a position as the defensive coordinator at Temple High in Georgia. 2017 Season - Mike Davis Ryan Little arrives in Fruitdale after spending the past twelve seasons as an assistant at Beulah High in Valley AL. He served as the offensive coordinator at Beulah. A.L. Johnson - Johnny Ford 2017 Season - Roosevelt Moore Region 2 Kinston - Jonny Mitchell Jonny Mitchell leaves Kinston after one season with a 1-9 record. 2017 Season - Jon Cooper Jon Cooper arrives at Kinston after a season at Charles Henderson as an assistant coach. He previously was the head coach at Slocomb (2013-15) where his three teams finished a combined 21-13. Florala - Brad Rhodes Brad Rhodes leaves Florala after three seasons with a 8-19 record. 2017 Season - Scott Mason The Florala Wildcats hired Scott Mason to take over at the helm for the 2017 football season. Mason comes to Florala from Citronelle where he served as the offensive coordinator last year. He was the head football coach at Fruitdale (2007-09) with a 15-16 record. Red Level - James Wise James Wise resigned as the head football coach at Red Level High School after just two seasons. His teams finished a combined 7-13 and failed to qualify for the playoffs. 2017 Season - Kenny Skipper Kenny Skipper, a 2001 graduate of the school takes over the football program at Red Level. Skipper has coach and taught at Straughn the past five seasons. Pleasant Home - Chris Mason Chris Mason leaves Pleasant Home after three seasons with a 7-3 record. After an initial 0-10 season his teams improved each year. The last finished with a 6-4 record. 2017 Season - Richard Mercer Richard Mercer will be the head football coach at Pleasant Home for the 2017 season. He came to the school with Chris Mason three years ago and served as an assist coach at with the program. Mercer was the head coach at Satsuma during the 2011 season when the Gators finished with a 0-10 record. Region 3 Highland Home - Gregg Baker Gregg Baker leaves Highland Home after two years with identical 3-7 campaigns. 2017 Season - Phillip Coggins Phillip Coggins will take overt the football program at Highland Home for the 2017 season. Coggins was the defensive coordinator and assistant athletic director at Wetumpka High School. In his 13th year of coaching, he has also had careers at Verbena High School and Chilton County High. Loachapoka - Jerome Tate After 22 seasons as the head coach at Loachapoka, Jerome Tate stepped down during the off season. His teams went a combined 152-98 and 16-18 in the playoffs. Four of his teams won region championships along the way. Since 1974 when the school opened they have had only three head coaches. 2017 Season - Antonio Richards Antonio Richards arrives in Loachapoka to fill some big shoes. He most recently served as an offensive analyst and recruiting coordinator for Michigan. Richards was an assistant at Prattville prior to becoming the head coach at Autaugaville for the 2010 season. Region 4 Donoho - Andy McWilliams Andy McWilliams leaves Donoho after just two years with a 5-14 record. 2017 Season - Mark Sanders Mark Sanders left the Victory Christian program in much better shape than where he found it four years ago. He has accepted the head coaching job at Donoho. He rebuilt the football program back to a respectable level and went 17-14 over three seasons. Victory Christian - Mark Sanders Mark Sanders leaves the Victory Christian program in much better shape than where he found it. He has accepted the head coaching job at Donoho. He rebuilt the football program back to a respectable level and went 17-14 over three seasons. 2017 Season - Mark Holliday Mark Holliday will lead Victory Christian into the 2017 football season. Region 5 Holy Spirit - Jamie Griffin Jamie Griffin leaves Holy Spirit after three seasons with a 3-27 record. 2017 Season - Mark Cochran Mark Cochran will lead Holy Spirit into the 2017 football season. Berry Fayette - Danny Raines Danny Raines leaves Berry after fourteen seasons as the winningest coach in school history. His record of 102-59 includes a dozen playoff appearances and nine post season victories. Raines has accepted the head coaching position at Headland High. 2017 Season - Caleb Hynds Caleb Hynds, a 2007 graduate of Winfield, will take over the football program at Berry. This will be his first head coaching position on the football field. Brilliant - Mark Ragsdale Mark Ragsdale leaves Brilliant after just two seasons as the head football coach with an 0-20 record. 2017 Season - Brian Gunnels Brian Gunnels returns to Brilliant as the head football coach for the 2017 season. Gunnels is a 2003 graduate of the school and was an assistant coach through the 2009 season. He was at Carbon Hill in 2010 and 2012 and at Cordova in 2011. Region 6 Coosa Christian - Chris Sanders Chris Sanders leaves Coosa Christian after one season as the interim coach and a 3-8 record on the football field. 2017 Season - Navendra Woods Navendra Woods takes over the reins at Coosa Christian for the 2017 season. Region 7 R.A. Hubbard - Nicholas Vinson Nicholas Vinson leaves R.A. Hubbard after eight seasons with a 47-34 record. His last two teams finished with a 6-14 record. It was the first back-to-back losing seasons since 1974-75. 2017 Season - Mac Hampton Mac Hampton, a former assistant coach at Lawrence County, will take over the football program this fall. Meek - Lance Archer Lance Archer leaves Meek after seven seasons with a 28-44 record including 0-2 in the playoffs. 2017 Season - David Norwood David Norwood will coach at Meek this year. Norwood has previously been the head football coach at Austin from 2004-2009 where his teams finished a combined 23-38. He was also at Gardendale for two years beginning in 2002 and compiled a 19-5 record. Sumiton Christian - Bart Lockhart Bart Lockhart leaves Sumiton Christian after two seasons with a 12-10 record. He moves to Dora where he will assume the head football coaching duties. 2017 Season - Mike McCarty Mike McCarty is the new Sumiton Christian football coach. He was also an All-State receiver for the school in 2000. Region 8 Vina - Luke Childers Luke Childers 2017 Season - Jason Harris Jason Harris, who served as an assistant coach at Vina the past five years, was named the Red Devil head coach in early July during the off season. Harris is a 1987 graduate of Phil Campbell High School. Harris served as an assistant coach at Red Bay and Parrish. He was the baseball coach at Covenant Christian. |
David Parker
AHSFHS.org
dparker@ahsfhs.org
The Super 6 State Championships began in 1996. Since then all title games were played at Legion Field in Birmingham until 2009.