E.C. "Baldy" Wilson is a native of Oxford and graduated from Oxford High School in 1942. While at Oxford, Wilson was a four-year letterman in basketball. As a senior, he served as team captain and was a member of the Sixth District tournament all-tournament team. He also lettered two years in football for the Yellow Jackets. After high school, Wilson served his country during World War II in Europe. Following the war, Wilson enrolled at Jacksonville State where he lettered in football three years and in basketball one season. While at Jacksonville State, he is also credited with leading the movement that changed Jacksonville States mascot from Eagle Owls to Gamecocks and the school colors from purple and white to red and white. When he graduated from Jacksonville State in 1949, Wilson was hired as head football coach at Glencoe High School near Gadsden. He remained with the program for the next nineteen seasons. He also served as Glencoes head basketball coach from 1950 through 1965. The Yellow Jackets were 93-73-10 in football under his leadership. Wilson coached in the 1959 Alabama North-South All-Star football game in Tuscaloosa. Wilsons Glencoe basketball teams won five Etowah County championships. After retiring from coaching, Wilson held a number of administrative positions in the Etowah County school system. He served as superintendent of education from 1976 through 1984. Wilson was inducted into the Alabama High School Sports Hall of Fame in 1998 and the Jacksonville State University Hall of Fame in 1999. In 2004, the Glencoe football stadium was renamed Wilson-Darnell Stadium. |