Hall Of Fame - 2001

     
 

T.C. BRITTON - Made countless contributions in Lee County for 34 years as a teacher, coach and administrator. He coached 13 years at Smiths Station where his football teams posted a 99-25-1 record and won the 1958 state championship. His 13 basketball teams had a 177-58 record and his 10 baseball teams posted a 148-31 mark. He was Class 1A coach of the year in 1959 and coached in the 1963 all-star game. He taught history and physical education and served as assistant principal. His final 24 years of service came as superintendent. A graduate of Millry High School and Livingston University.

 

ORMOND BROWN  - Officiated prep football and basketball in Alabama for 41 years, including 30 state basketball tournament finals and numerous state playoff and all-star games. He also umpired baseball for 10 years and has held every office in his local officials association. He has served the AHSAA as a clinician and camp instructor and now is a basketball district director. Also, he officiated basketball on the college level for 32 years, including 17 in the Southeastern Conference. A graduate of Emma Sansom High School.

DICK BURLESON - Officiated prep football for 15 years as a member of the Birmingham Football Officials Association that he served as president and board member. He worked in the 1970 all-star game and called in the state playoffs from their inception in 1966 until his retirement from the association in 1977. An annual BFOA award is given in his honor. He officiated in the Southeastern Conference for over 25 years. A graduate of J. B. Pennington High School and Georgia Tech.

 

ROSE FIORELLA- A pioneer for volleyball in the Birmingham City School system, she coached 30 of the last 31 years at Ramsay where her teams won five state championships in six years--including four straight in 1985-88—and finished runner-up twice. Her career record is 785-332. With her work ethic and competitive drive, she earned the respect of coaches statewide and became a legend as an outstanding teacher and coach. She helped organize summer training camps for girls. A graduate of John Carroll High School and Auburn University.

 

EDDIE FROST - Helped start the athletic program at Bradshaw where he enjoyed a successful 18-year coaching career. His teams compiled a 253-180 record and won a state championship in 1976 as he was named state coach of the year and all-star coach for the second time. The first basketball coach to serve as president of the coaches association, he conducted a clinic at the national coaches meeting. He also coached five years at Appleby Junior High. Since 1984 he has served as Mayor of Florence where he helped found the Alabama-Mississippi all-star basketball games. A graduate of Sheffield High School and Florence State College.

 ALFRED HALL - Spent 29 of his 32 years in coaching at Brighton where he guided the football, basketball, baseball and track teams. Compiling a football record of 130-84-11, his teams lost only six games during one nine-year period and he was named coach of the year four times by the Birmingham Grid Forecasters. The Brighton program became known for its character building during the struggling 1970s when many of its students transferred to other schools during integration efforts. Former students and teachers attended a surprise roast in his honor last year. A graduate of Dunbar High School and Alabama A&M University.

 

ROBERT HERRING - Of his 32 years in the coaching profession, his finest hour came during his 14 years at Oxford where his teams posted a 119-43 record and won three state championships. He was named coach of the year in 1993 and Southeastern athletic director of the year in 1995. He also coached at Jones Valley and Oneonta and served as head coach during one of his two appearances in the Alabama-Mississippi all-star football game. He also won three Mississippi state titles and has a career record of 222-95. A graduate of Louisville High School (Miss.) and Mississippi State University.

PAT HICKS - She was instrumental in starting girls’ athletics in Mobile County where she coached at Satsuma for 31 years. Her softball career record was 504-78 with three state slow pitch state championships, one the first state softball title sanctioned by the AHSAA in 1987. With her volleyball teams compiling a 476-165 record and reaching the playoffs 13 times in 16 years, she was named coach of the year twice. The recipient of an award for devotion to young people in Mobile, she currently coaches at UMS-Wright. A graduate of Satsuma High School and William Carey College. 

 

 EDDIE HOLMES - Spent 30 of his 34 years of coaching at UMS-Wright where he has been successful in three sports. During his 28 years as a golf coach, his teams won 12 state championships, including nine in a row from 1987 until the present. He coached boys basketball for 20 years and compiled a 375-192 record. His girls basketball team has posted a 158-24 record over the last five years. He was named the district coach of the year in 1997. A graduate of UMS-Wright Prep School and Spring Hill College.

 

WILLIAM JESSIE - Has been involved with high school athletics in Mobile for 38 years as a coach, official and administrator. He was head football coach/athletic director for 23 years at Toulminville/LeFlore where he had three straight undefeated seasons, 145 career wins and coached in the 1972 all-star game. He officiated basketball for 36 years worked in numerous state tournaments. He also served on the AHSAA District and Central boards for the last 16 years. A graduate of Central High School and Alabama State University. 

ROOSEVELT SANDERS - Coached basketball for 31 years and guided four schools to the state tournament with a career record of 699-159. He spent 22 years at Central-Tuscaloosa where his teams won state championships in 1990 and 1991 and reached the final four four times. His R. R. Moton team won the 1969 state title and he also coached at Bullock County and Druid. He was selected state coach of the year four times, coached in the all-star game and served as administrative coach for the state all-star team. A graduate of Carver High School (Montgomery) and Alabama State University.

JIMMY SMOTHERS - One of the most influential sports personalities in the state, he has covered Alabama high school events for over 50 years, the last 40 for the Gadsden Times. His column as sports editor has been a mainstay of The Times and he has written countless hundreds of articles about prep coaches and athletes. His coverage has included over 25 state basketball tournaments, the Super Six and numerous other state playoff games. He has won many writing awards and is a member of the Etowah County, DeKalb County and Alabama Sports Writers halls of fame. A graduate of Geraldine High School.

 ALLEN STEPHENSON - Had an outstanding record as a coach, teacher and administrator at Addison for 33 years. He coached football for 17 years with a 131-62 record and an undefeated, state championship team in 1976. His 1972 basketball squad, the only Addison team ever to reach the state tournament, finished fourth. He served as a state track meet official, assisted with the management of all-star games and served a term as president of the coaches association. A graduate of T. W. Martin High School and Jacksonville State University.

 PAUL TERRY - His coaching career spanned 35 years, 30 as a head football coach compiling a 198-113-4 overall record at three South Alabama schools he led into the playoffs for the first time. His 12 Enterprise teams posted an 86-31-3 record and he coached in the 1972 all-star game. He compiled a 40-14-1 mark in five years at Florala and a 72-68-0 record during 13 years at Carroll. He is member of the Wiregrass and Morgan County halls of fame. A graduate of Decatur High School and Auburn University.

 

     
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