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





2024 Football Coaching Changes


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New Hires: Sixteen
Best Hire: John Ritter, Decatur
Hardest to Replace: Drew Gilmer, Clay-Chalkville
Best Job: Clay-Chalkville
Toughest Job: Brookwood
Most Interesting:   There were a few coaching changes during the off season that raised an eyebrow.  Drew Gilmer leaving Clay-Chalkville for Hoover has to be at the top of the list.  Bryan Moore exited Hartselle for Opelika. John Ritter taking the job at Decatur will be worth keeping an eye on also.

    The Rush Propst experiment lasted exactly one season as many had suspected.  Former Prattville and Alabama star player, Nick Gentry will try to build upon the positives from last season and bury the negatives at Pell City
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 2024 Coaching Changes 

     
   Sixteen head coaching positions in 6A changed hands during the off season.  Paul Bryant is without a head coach today as John McKenzie accepted the job at Vigor.  Only six of the new coaching hires in 6A have previous head coaching experience.  Joe Webb takes over at Jackson-Olin after a a ten-year NFL career.  Nice hire.

 Team  2023 Season  2024 Season

Baldwin County (2-8)Scott RialsAndrew Davis
Brookwood (1-9)Mike BramblettChris Foster
Calera (0-10)Jerad HolderScott Rials
Chilton County (4-6)Marvin MortonEddie Wall
Clay-Chalkville (14-0)Drew GilmerStuart Floyd
Decatur (3-7)Aairon SavageJohn Ritter
Hartselle (9-3)Bryan MooreBert Newton
Hazel Green (0-10)Charlie WilburnFred Farrier
Jackson-Olin (0-10)Walter JordanJoe Webb
Mortimer Jordan (8-3)Dustan GoodeHeath Lauderdale
Murphy (2-8)Justin HannahJustin Hannah5/Dwight Lambert
Park Crossing (3-7)Ty LockettCharles Biggers
Paul Bryant (3-7)John McKenzieChristion Jones
Pell City (1-9)Rush PropstNick Gentry
Percy Julian (5-5)DreQuay EverettKenneth White
Pinson Valley (4-6)Gentrell EatmanJames Thompson
Southside Gadsden (8-3)Miles HolcombBen Stewart



 
 Most Victories 
 
    Steve Mask at Theodore and Scott Basden at Muscle Shoals are tied for the most wins in 6A this year with 218 under their belt.  A total of nine coaches have won at least 100 games during their careers.
   

Steve Mask Theodore 218 111
Scott Basden Muscle Shoals 218 75
Scott Rials Calera 185 111
Jeff Kelly Saraland 179 70
Chris Yeager Mountain Brook 178 85
Smitty Grider Benjamin Russell 143 71
Reuben Nelson Shades Valley 126 80
Toby Greene Rehobeth 117 115
Ryan Lolley Northridge 109 29



 
 Most Playoff Victories 
 
   The same two head coaches top our list among the 6A school with the most playoff victories.  Four of the top five coaches on this list have won a state championship in some classification.


Steve Mask Theodore 42 17
Scott Basden Muscle Shoals 37 21
Jeff Kelly Saraland 33 17
Chris Yeager Mountain Brook 26 17
Scott Rials Calera 21 17
Ryan Lolley Northridge 18 10
Reuben Nelson Shades Valley 17 11
Smitty Grider Benjamin Russell 11 14
Sam Adams Oxford 11 9
   * only in-state records counted



 
 Longest Tenure at Current School 
 
   The 58 schools in 6A average 3.8 years each with their current head football coach. That is the shortest average tenure in any classification. Only four coaches have been at their current school for more than ten seasons.


19 - Chris Yeager, Mountain Brook
17 - Scott Basden, Muscle Shoals
14 - Jeff Kelly, Saraland
11 - Ben Berguson, Homewood
9 - Cody Gross, Athens
7 - Chris Elmore, Fort Payne
7 - Chad Eads, Gardendale
7 - Richie Busby, Helena
7 - Adrian Abrams, Minor
 



 
 Coaching Turnover 2000-2024 
 
    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.

    
The biggest surprise on this list has to be McGill-Toolen with ten different coaches during this time.  The Yellow Jackets qualified for the playoffs in every season except three and actually won a championship in 2015.


13 Woodlawn  
11 Russell County  
11 Columbia  
10 Bessemer City  
10 McGill-Toolen  
10 Calera  
10 Jackson-Olin  
9 Pell City  
9 Hazel Green  
9 Southside Gadsden  





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.