Ernest Teel was a standout baseball and football player at Phillips high school in Birmingham. He was an all-around athlete at Birmingham Southern during his college playing days. Teel became the head football coach at West End High School in Birmingham in 1939. He remained with the program for the next six seasons.

Coach Teel moved to Georgia and took over the football program at Statesboro High School in 1945 for three seasons. In 1948, he accepted the head football coaching position at Gadsden High School where he served for 12 seasons. He was also the head baseball coach at Gadsden during his tenure there.

He returned to Statesboro in 1954 where he served as the head football coach until his retirement following the 1966 football season. His football coaching record in Alabama is 73-49-10 in 15 seasons. Coach Teels teams went a combined 104-43-7 in Georgia winning two State Championships in 1957 and 1958.

Coach Teel passed away March 7, 1976 in Statesboro, Georgia following a long illness. He was 64 years old.