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





Coaches with the Best Winning Percentage All-Time 


(Updated 12/20/2024)
    
          Now for a look at the all-time records of the top twenty coaches with the highest winning percentage. As with all of our lists we deal only with the numbers in ranking the  coaches.

          Leading the way is a familiar name in Bill Clark of Prattville fame. Like many of the most successful coaches around the state Coach Clark's father, Ragan Clark, was also a coach and is actually on our list of 100 win coaches. 

          Bill took over the head coaching job at Prattville in 1999 and made a name for himself over the next nine seasons.


   
Billy Livings  -  Jeff Davis
          Coach Clark posted a 106-11 record as the head coach for the Lions with his final two squads finishing 30-0. He completed his high school coaching career with a 48-2 region record having won forty-two consecutive region games.

          He left Prattville following the 2008 season having last lost a regular season game in 2002 (55 games) and winning back to back state championships. He moved to the college ranks as the defensive coordinator at South Alabama and recently took the head coaching position at Jacksonville State.

           There is little doubt about what Coach Paul Benefield has done at Fyffe in building the latest dynasty in Alabama High School football. His record in thirty-three seasons is an amazing 360-59 in stints at Sylvania and Fyffe. His teams have won seven state championships along the way. His record at Fyffe is 315-48 in twenty-eight seasons leading the Red Devils football program.

           George Cochran may not be a name very familiar with many fans around the state. He began his head coaching career at Hooper Academy in 1972 and won two AISA state championships in his four years there. After winning another two state titles at Eufaula in 1978 and 1981 he took the head coaching job at Mosley High School in Florida in 1986 where he remained through the 1995 season. His record as a high school head coach in Alabama stands at 141-22-1. Cochran's career high school coaching record in both states was 206-51-1.

          For 33 years Bob Newton worked at Homewood high school. First as an assistant coach, then the head coach and athletic director. He was the head coach from 1995-2005 and compiled an overall record of 124-24, winning five class 5A state championships. His teams never had a losing record and won six region titles. His playoff record was a phenomenal 34-4 in nine playoff appearances.

          Coach Billy Livings was named the first head football coach at Jeff Davis in 1968 when the Montgomery school opened. In twelve seasons with the Volunteers his teams had a record of 104-22-4 winning a class 4A state championship in 1978. From 1975-1979 Jeff Davis had a region record of 23-0 winning all five region crowns. His final twenty-six years of coaching were spent at Vero Beach, Florida. His record at both schools was 314-108-4 and he retired as the second winningest high school coach in Florida athletics history.


All-Time Winning Percentage (min 100 wins)
Coach Teams Games Won Lost Tied Pct.
Bill Clark Prattville 117 106 11 0 90.6%
James Porch Ft. Payne, Verbena, Oneonta 125 110 14 1 88.7%
George Cochran Hooper Academy, Eufaula 162 141 22 1 86.5%
Paul Benefield Sylvania, Fyffe 419 360 59 0 85.9%
             
Bob Newton Homewood 148 124 24 0 83.8%
Billy Livings Jeff Davis 130 104 22 4 82.5%
Bobby Carr New Life Chr., Edgewood Ac., Autauga Ac. 311 256 55 0 82.3%
David Lowery Elba, Brantley 205 168 37 0 82.0%
             
Mark Freeman Bessemer Ac., Gulf Shores, Spanish Ft., Thompson 329 269 60 0 81.8%
Joe Chorba Guntersville 129 100 23 6 81.3%
Brent Hubbert Maplesville, T.R. Miller 300 241 59 0 80.3%
Josh Niblett Oneonta, Oxford, Hoover 294 236 58 0 80.3%
             
Nolan Atkins Thomasville, Sweet Water, Patrician Academy 343 271 67 5 80.2%
E.D. Chink Lott Anniston, Demopolis 239 178 45 18 79.8%
John Meadows Hanceville, Gordo, Scottsboro, Butler 237 182 46 9 79.8%
Ivan Jones Foley 139 108 28 3 79.4%
             
John Edward O'Brien Falkville, New Site, Dadeville, Tallassee 205 157 41 8 79.3%
John Mothershed Deshler 254 201 53 0 79.1%
Tom Jones Lee Montgomery, Hayneville 209 154 41 14 79.0%
Danny Horn Clay Co., Benjamin Russell, Central Clay Co. 461 363 98 0 78.7%
             
Larry Ginn Alexandria 249 195 54 0 78.3%
Patrick Nix Scottsboro, Pinson Valley, Central Phenix City 154 120 33 0 77.9%
Ryan Lolley Gordo, Northridge 149 116 33 0 77.9%
Terry Curtis Shaw, Murphy, UMS-Wright 466 361 105 0 77.5%


David Parker
  AHSFHS.org
  dparker@ahsfhs.org






Great Moments in Alabama High School Football History

Hazlewood won five consecutive state championships from 1988-1992. During this span the Golden Bears won 29 playoff games in a row.