News

We now have 832 teams &  
189,846 games on AHSFHS.org.


Search Site

AHSFHS Article Series


   The best of the best in Alabama High   
  School Football over the past 100 seasons.





2023 Football Coaching Changes


     Share on Facebook         
      


       
New Hires: Nineteen
Best Hire: Barrett Trotter, Bayside Academy
Hardest to Replace: Rico White, Anniston
Best Job: Montgomery Academy
Toughest Job: Holt
Most Interesting:
      Barrett Trotter taking over for Phil Lazenby at Bayside Academy will be interesting to watch over the next few seasons. Coach Lazenby built an Admiral's football program that was respected across south Alabama for being a tough matchup for opponents. We will see if the former Auburn quarterback can continue that success. After moving from Briarwood this will be his first time serving as a head football coach.

      So many of the new hires in 4A have little to no head coaching experience at any level which is unique to this classification this season. A lot of new faces on the sidelines in 4A this football season. Of the nineteen changes only three teams won more games than they lost last year.
 
 2023 Coaching Changes 

     
    Class 4A ties with Class 3A for the most new hires during the off season as nineteen schools will have a different head coach as the season approaches. Only five of the new coaches have any head football coaching experience.
   

 Team  2022 Season  2023 Season

Anniston (11-1)Rico WhiteRico Jackson
Ashville (2-8)Shea MonroeKirakias Shepard
B.T. Washington (4-6)Lawrence YeldingLawrence ONeal
Bayside Academy (6-5)Phil LazenbyBarrett Trotter
Bullock County (3-7)Derrick LevettJeremy Vines
Cleburne County (2-8)Joby BurnsJoby Burns
Cordova (2-8)Vince DiLorenzoShane Smothers
Corner (8-3)Jon CooperTrent Campbell
Curry (2-8)D.J. EmersonJace Cordell
D.A.R. (1-9)Brian LargenKyle Davis
Dale County (2-8)Luke TuckerEvan Ballard
Dallas County (3-7)Will GarnerDaniel Flowers
Dallas County (1-9)Douglas LaisterDaniel Flowers
East Lawrence (0-10)Sean HoltMac Hampton
Etowah (8-4)Matt GloverVincent Harris
Etowah (8-4)Matt GloverMatt Glover2/Blake Bone
Fultondale (0-10)Kendric CookKeon Handley
Geneva (4-6)Les SandersJamel Harris
Hamilton (1-9)Barry PeoplesEvan Shipp
Hanceville (4-6)Ryan BrewerRyan Brewer
Holt (0-10)Dustin HycheBrian Newton
Madison County (4-7)Matt PutnamMatt Putnam
Montevallo (2-8)Shannon FelderBlake Boren
Montgomery Academy (5-6)Robert JohnsonEthan McBride
Orange Beach (8-3)Jamey DuBoseJamey DuBose
Priceville (11-1)Chris FosterChris Foster
Slocomb (5-5)Bryant GarrisonJoey Milligan
Slocomb (5-5)Bryant GarrisonPaul McLean
St. John Paul II (4-6)Padraic HeiligerChad OMelia
St. John Paul II (4-6)Padraic HeiligerChad OMelia
St. Lukes (4-7)Ronn LeeChad OMelia
Tabernacle (5-4)Clint ChaseBrent Hubbert
Talladega (0-10)William F. SmithWilliam F. Smith
West Blocton (6-5)DreMail KingDreMail King
West End Walnut Grove (7-4)Derrick SewellDreMail King
White Plains (2-8)Chandler TyreeBlake Jennings
White Plains (2-8)Chandler TyreeBlake Jennings
Whitesburg Christian (5-5)Jimmy NaveBlake Jennings
Wilcox Central (1-8)Reggie PowellBrandon Cheatham
Wilcox Central (1-8)Reggie PowellBrandon Cheatham
Wilson (1-9)Matt PoarchTrey Lane
Wilson (1-9)Matt PoarchTrey Lane



 
 Most Victories 
 
   Trent Taylor at Andalusia leads all 4A coaches with 267 victories in the state of Alabama. His Bulldogs are always a tough opponent for any team on a Friday night. Last year they won the Class 4A state championship. Brent Hubbert is also over the 200 win mark at T.R. Miller.

Trent Taylor Andalusia 267 146
Brent Hubbert T.R. Miller 221 54
Larry Strain Handley 169 116
Jamey DuBose Orange Beach 165 48
Clint Smith Jacksonville 146 86
Matt Glover Etowah 84 74
William F. Smith Talladega 77 75
Chris Musso Oak Grove 76 81



 
 Most Playoff Victories 
 
   Class 4A has the most coaches with at least 30 playoff wins at four. Each of them have won at least one state championship over the course of their careers. Coach Hubbert's 44 victories rank sixth among active head football coaches.

Brent Hubbert T.R. Miller 44 18
Trent Taylor Andalusia 39 29
Jamey DuBose Orange Beach 31 11
Larry Strain Handley 31 17
Clint Smith Jacksonville 16 14
Phil Phillips Oneonta 12 5
Matt Geohagan Bibb County 9 8
Matt Glover Etowah 8 10
Bo Culver Haleyville 6 8
   * only in-state wins counted



 
 Longest Tenure at Current School 
 
   Coach Heath Wood at Central Florence is the longest tenured coach at his current school in 4A as he begins his thirteenth season.

   The average tenure of all the 4A coaches is 3.3 years. That is the lowest of any classification. Only two coaches have been with their current school more than ten seasons.

13 - Heath Wood, Central Florence
12 - Clint Smith, Jacksonville
9 - Trent Taylor, Andalusia
9 - Matt Geohagan, Bibb County
9 - Alan Scott, Good Hope
9 - Larry Strain, Handley
8 - Louis LeBlanc, Westminster Christian
6 - Phil Phillips, Oneonta
6 - Shelby Davis, West Limestone
 



 
 Coaching Turnover 2000-2023 
 
   The lack of success in most football programs often leads to a change in the head coach. These schools have had the most head coaching changes over the past 24 years. Only one other school has had more changes than Dallas County and Bullock County in any classification. The fourteen coaching changes trails only J.F. Shields for the most.

14 Dallas County  
14 Bullock County  
11 Ashville  
11 East Lawrence  
10 Cordova  
10 Satsuma  
10 Dale County  
10 Holt  
10 Wilcox Central  
9 Dora  
9 Escambia County  
9 Hale County  
9 Hanceville  
9 Randolph  





David Parker
  AHSFHS.org
  dparker@ahsfhs.org





Great Moments in Alabama High School Football History

Murphy and Theodore battled through seven overtimes before the Panthers came out on top 33-26 in 1979.