2014 Class 4A Coaching Changes
Class 4A New Hires: 11 Best Hire: Russell Funk, Curry Hardest to replace: John Mothershed, Deshler Best Job: Deshler Toughest Job: Bullock Bounty | |
Region 2 Bullock County - Joshua Chambers served as the interim head football coach the last half of the 2013 season when Charlie Winchester left on Oct. 4. Martae Wyckoff accepted the head coach position after serving on the staff at Anniston last year. This will be his first stint as a head football coach. Region 4 Holt - Kenny Crowe leaves Holt after two years and a 1-19 record. Kelvin Smith was named interim head coach and in June the head football coach at Holt. He served as the defensive coordinator at the school last season. Coach Smith grew up in Mississippi and graduated from high school in Yazoo City. He later played football at Alabama A&M. Following college, Smith worked at Aliceville, Leeds, Jess Lanier. He was the head football coach at Jackson-Olin in 2012 where his only team finished with a 1-9 record. Region 5 Danville - After three seasons at Danville, Scott Curd leaves with a record of 6-24 at the school. John Jacobs was hired during the offseason to fill the vacancy.Josh LouAllen was named to replace Curd during the offseason. He graduated from Lawrence County high school and Athens State. LouAllen also served as the baseball coach at Deshler and an assistant at Austin. Carbon Hill - Rodney Dollar resigned after only one season at the helm in Carbon Hill. His only team finished with an 0-10 record. Woody Smothers takes over a program that has won seven games in seven seasons. Coach Smothers has been an assistant at Walker, Cordova and Muscle Shoals before spending last season as the offensive coordinator at Addison. Curry - Shay Oliver stepped down after six seasons as the head football coach at Curry. His teams finished a combined 16-45 and only reached the playoffs once during his time there. Russell Funk accepted the head coaching job at Curry. His five teams at Marion County produced a record of 45-17 including a state championship in 2011 with a 14-1 record. Coach Funk Haleyville - Mark Heaton leaves Haleyville after only two seasons and a 17-6 record. Stephan "Bo" Culver takes over the successful program. He has served as an assistant at Shoals Christian and was the head coach at Phil Campbell for three seasons with a 9-21 record beginning in 2009. He worked as the offensive coordinator at Florence the past two years under Jamey Dubose. Region 6 White Plains - The board decided not to renew the contract of head football coach Heath Harmon. Harmon will remain at the school as a teacher. Larry Strain moves over from Woodland after 15 seasons at the school with a record of 100-78. His last ten teams reached the playoffs. Region 7 D.A.R. - Hunter Holland leaves after seven seasons and a record of 30-42. His final two teams did qualify for the playoffs but none of his squads managed to win more than six games in a season. Bobby Rhodes takes over the football program this fall at the school. North Jackson - Tony Johnson was not retained as the head football coach at North Jackson following the 2013 season after a 2-8 season. The team missed the playoffs for only the second time in school history. Mark Rose returns as the head coach. He served there between 2000-07 and compiled a 85-15 record with six region titles. He 2002 team lost in the Super Six state championship game. A graduate of Auburn, he was the head coach at Smiths Station the last six years where his teams finished with a 34-31 record in Class 6A. His Panthers qualified for the playoffs three times during his tenure at Smiths Station. Rose Region 8 West Limestone - David Arnsparger leaves the school after seven seasons and a record of 38-36. Jordan Cantrell takes over the head coaching duties after serving as an assistant coach at the school the past seven seasons. He is a 2002 graduate of the high school. Deshler - In a surprising move, John Mothershed resigned at Deshler after 19 seasons at the school and two state championships. His teams averaged more than ten wins a season and he leaves with an overall record of 201-53 with the program. Each of his teams reached the playoffs and won a total of fourteen region championships. Jake Linville takes over the head coaching duties. He graduated from Collinwood TN High School and the University of Memphis. He has served as an assistant at Covington TN (1996-2005), Russellville (2005-07), Wilson (2007-09), Tipton Rosemark Academy TN (2009-10) and Deshler (2010-13). |
David Parker
AHSFHS.org
dparker@ahsfhs.org
Great Moments in Alabama High School Football History
Thomasville scored 54 points against Gulf Shores in the first quarter of a game in 2003. They managed to hang on for an 81-14 win.
Thomasville scored 54 points against Gulf Shores in the first quarter of a game in 2003. They managed to hang on for an 81-14 win.