Ed Rigby, who resigned at Pike Road in late February, is the new head football coach at Luverne High School.
The 2023 AHSAA Coaching Carousel is in full swing with some 66 schools changing head coaches for the upcoming 2023 season. There are presently 14 AHSAA head coaching openings.
As we move closer to spring training and summer, hires tend to be assistant coaches more than current head coaches. Many head coaches are more hesitant to leave their current program after investing much time and effort in their 2023 team. When those situations occur, schools tend to look for qualified assistant coaches on their own staffs if possible.
Last year there were 96 coaching changes in the AHSAA, which is 25% of all schools. 6A had the highest percentage of change where 1 out of every 3 schools hired new head coaches. The lowest percentage of change was in 1A and 2A where only 20% or 1 out of every 5 schools changed leaders of their football program.
There were 82 hires of the 96 from within the state of Alabama or 85%. Assistant coaches accounted for 58 of those hires and 24 were already head coaches at other schools. Also interesting was that 27% of all of the hires were "on staff" hires.
Of the top 13 jobs available in the 2022 cycle (those schools with traditions of great success) 11 of the 13 ended up hiring a coach off the current staff, a former assistant, a former player or a coach that was familiar to the principal or superintendent. This should tell coaches that one of the best thing you can do for your career is to obtain a job at one of these tradition rich schools and work to be the best coach on the staff. This should result in a hire at another quality school (usually a school of equal or less size) or at that present school.
Here is a list of the AHSAA schools changing coaches in the 2023 cycle, where the hired coaches came from and the last time the school changed head coaches. Only 19 of the 52 hires so far have been coaches who were already head coaches in Alabama, although six of those came about in the last three weeks. There have been 6 of the 52 hires who came from college football programs.
Interestingly enough, 62% of the schools looking for new head coaches have swapped coaches in the last three seasons.
School Old Coach New Coach Last Job Last Change
Albertville Chip English Bert Browne Tenn Tech Asst 2021
Anniston Rico White Rico Jackson Tarrant HC* 2022
Ashford Robin Tyra David Stapleton Tuscaloosa Co. Asst 2019
Bayside Academy Phil Lazenby Barrett Trotter Briarwood Asst 2007
Belgreen New Program Luke Tucker Dale Co. HC New
Blount Josh Harris Ramon Nelson Theodore Asst* 2022
Brindlee Mountain Keith Garner Joshua Bailey Huntsville Asst 2017
Bullock County Derrick Levett Open 2021
Carbon Hill Mark Cochran D.J. Emerson Curry HC 2021
Central-Tuscaloosa Rodney Bivens Jr. Demario Pippen Eastwood M.S. (Tusc) 2020
Citronelle Jason Barnett Jason Rowell Luverne HC 2018
Clarke County Stacy Luker Rob Carter Sylacauga HC 2017
Corner Jon Cooper Open 2021
Cottage Hill Bobby Parrish Stacy Luker Clarke Co. HC 2021
Cullman Oscar Glasscock Danny Stiff Hoover Asst 2019
Curry D.J. Emerson Open 2021
Dale County Luke Tucker Evan Ballard Dale County Asst 2021
DAR Brian Largen Kyle Davis Citronelle Asst* 2022
Decatur Jere Adcock Aairon Savage Western Illinois Asst 1996
Demopolis Bryan Seymour Open 2017
East Lawrence Sean Holt Open 2021
Fultondale Kendric Cook Keon Handley Sr. Pleasant Grove Asst* 2021
Geneva Les Sanders Jamel Harris Geneva Asst 2015
Greenville Patrick Browning Bryan Seymour Demopolis HC 2022
Hillcrest-Evergreen Harry Crum Justin Nared Spanish Fort Asst 2022
Holly Pond Chris Moss Open 2022
Holt Dustin Hyche Brian Newton Tuscaloosa Co Asst 2021
Huffman Marion Bush Open 2022
Jasper Philip Bailey David Reeves UAB Asst Coach 2020
Luverne Jason Rowell Ed Rigby Pike Road HC 2020
Mae Jemison Harold Wells Rico White Anniston HC 2020
Marbury Hayden Stockton Houston Powell Meek HC 2021
McGill-Toolen Norman Joseph David Faulkner WVA Asst to HC* 2021
Meek Houston Powell Daniel Evans Meek Asst 2020
Montgomery Academy Robert Johnson Open 2020
Murphy John McKenzie Justin Hannah Jackson Olin DC 2022
New Brockton Zack Holmes Jason Barnett Citronelle HC 2019
Northside Methodist Toby Greene Stefan Gainey Northside Meth Asst 2021
Oak Mountain Tyler Crane Shane McComb Palm Desert (Ca) HC 2021
Opp Mike Dubose Matt Brunson Baker (Fl) HC 2021
Paul Bryant Eldrick Hill John McKenzie Murphy HC 2014
Pell City Steve Mask Rush Propst Coosa Christian Co Coach 2022
Piedmont Steve Smith Jonathan Miller Saks HC 2006
Pike Liberal Arts Charlie Scofield Phillip Coggins Chilton Co Asst* 2022
Pike Road Ed Rigby Granger Shook Trinity HC 2022
Pinson Valley Lee Guess Gentrell Eatman Woodlawn HC 2022
Rehobeth Pete Harrison Toby Greene Northside Meth HC 2020
Saks Jonathan Miller Open 2012
Sardis Chris Stephenson B.J. Brooks Hoover Asst 2022
Section Chris Hammon Open 2019
Slocomb Bryant Garrison Paul McLean Slocomb Asst* 2022
Smiths Station Mike Glisson Bryant Garrison Slocomb HC 2018
Sparkman Laron White Ronnie Watson Sparkman DC 2017
St. Clair County P.J. Wright Tyler Robinson Huntingdon Coll Asst 2021
St. James Jimmy Perry Neal Posey St. James Asst 2012
St. John Paul Padraic Heiliger Chad O'Melia B'Ham Sou Asst 2022
Stanhope Elmore Brian Bradford Hunter Adams Stanhope Elmore Asst* 2017
Sylacauga Rob Carter Chris Smelley Hoover Asst* 2021
Tarrant Rico Jackson Open 2022
Theodore Eric Collier Steve Mask Pell City HC 2013
Trinity Granger Shook Open 2012
Westbrook Christian Drew Noles Steve Smith Piedmont HC 2019
White Plains Chandler Tyree Open 2019
Wilcox Central Reggie Powell Brandon Cheatham Greenville Asst 2018
Wilson Matt Poarch Trey Lane Florence Asst Coach 2018
Woodlawn Gentrell Eatman Open 2020