Charles "Buddy" Hearn played and coached football at Crossville and went on to a 32-year career in teaching and coaching. He also played football at Howard College and was team captain his senior year while playing with College Footballs second all-time winningest coach, Florida States Bobby Bowden.

His first head coaching job came at Valley Head for two seasons. He was also an assistant coach at Geraldine.

A graduate of Crossville High School, Hearn returned to his alma mater as head football coach in 1955 and remained there until 1962. His 1961 Crossville team finished the season 10-0.

Coach Hearn spent two seasons (1962-63) at Guntersville. He became the head coach at Erwin in 1964 when the school opened and played their first season the next year.

He left after the 1966 season for a job at Tarrant. Hearn accepted the head coaching duties at Tarrant in 1970 and his 1971 team went 13-0 and won the Class 3A State Championship.

He spent two years in Hueytown, three in Etowah, three at Litchfield and finished out his head coaching career at Section in 1991.

His teams won 124, lost 131 and tied 9 games at Crossville, Litchfield, Valley Head, Erwin, Guntersville, Tarrant, Section and Etowah. Hearns career spanned 24 years as a head football coach.

Coach Hearn was named as the Coach of the Year by the Birmingham Post Herald in 1961. He is a member of the DeKalb County Sports Hall of Fame.