AHSAA | Alabama High School Athletic Association

 

EDWARD BALZLI - Is a legend in South Alabama as a baseball and football official. He began his officiating career in 1940 and has served as president of the Mobile Football Officials Association and the Metro Mobile Baseball Umpires Association since 1948. He called football for 53 years and baseball for 50 years. A graduate of McGill High School.
TERRY BURT - Coached football for 27 years at Elmore County and compiled a career record of 187-115-4 with three state championships. He has served as athletic director since 1963. Also, he was assistant coach at Phenix City for two years and at Livingston High School one year. He was state coach of the year three times and was selected by his peers as one of the Top 20 coaches in the state in 1985. A graduate of Greenville High School and Livingston University
HOWARD CHAPPELL - Coached at Deshler for 17 years where his football teams compiled a record of 110-50-2, including undefeated seasons in 1934, 1935 and 1938. After leaving coaching , he was principal at R.E. Thompson for 15 years and served as Tuscumbia City Commissioner for 10 years. One of the organizers of the Tennessee Valley Conference, he introduced track to North Alabama schools. A graduate of Sylacauga High School and the University of Alabama.
HAROLD CLARK - Spent 32 of his 37 years in coaching at Vigor where his 20 football teams posted an overall record of 161-72-1 with two state championships. The unbeaten 1988 team also was named national champion by USA Today and ESPN. Also serving as athletic director for 20 years, he was named state coach of the year twice. He rejuvenated a football program that had an 0-10 record the previous year. A graduate of Beat 4 High School (Miss.) and the University of Southern Mississippi.
PAUL COOLEY - Coached basketball for 23 years--17 at Pisgah and 6 at Scottsboro. His Pisgah teams compiled an overall record of 410-103 and won three state championships. With a career record of 536-150, he was named tri-state coach of the year twice. Twenty-eight of his Pisgah players and seven at Scottsboro went on to play college ball. He is currently a member of the Jackson County Board of Education. A graduate of Arab High School and Jacksonville State University.
LYLE DARNELL - Coached football for 33 years at Glencoe, Ashland, Hanceville, Thompson, Emma Sansom, Scottsboro, Etowah and Pell City and compiled a overall record of 204-90-4. His longest head-coaching stint came at Glencoe where his 12 teams posted a 99-26-2 record and won a state championship. He was named state coach of the year three times and national coach of the year in 1973. A graduate of Arab High School and Jacksonville State University.
VAN BUREN DEERMAN - Coached basketball for 25 of his 33 years at Jacksonville where he compiled a record of 545-283, including twenty 20-win seasons, in establishing himself as one of the premier coaches in the state. He also coached at Locust Fork and at two junior highs - Webb and Wellborn. In his career, all his teams averaged 17 victories per season. The high school gym was renovated and renamed in his honor. A graduate of Jackson County High School and Jacksonville State University.
JERRY DUGAN– Coached basketball for 34 years – 28 at Lee of Huntsville and six at Hazel Green – with a career record of 575-292 and state championships at Hazel Green in 1967 and Lee in 1968. He received coach of the year honors after the back-to-back titles at different schools in different classes, a feat unmatched in state tournament history. He is a member of the charter class of the Madison County Hall of Fame. Called a consumate professional, he wins with class and character and has become a model for young coaches who aspire to greatness.
CHARLES H. LEE – Became known as the “Father of Alabama High School Wrestling” after installing the sport at Benjamin Russell in 1956 and proceeding to reel off 11 straight state championships, beginning in 1959. All but one of his 19 years in coaching were spent at Benjamin Russell where his football teams posted a 52-26-2 overall record and his wrestling teams won more than 150 dual matches while losing only five. He was principal at Lineville for 19 years. A graduate of Cliff High School and Auburn University.
HAROLD "RED" LUTZ – Coached football for 15 years at Fairfield and 13 years at Tuscaloosa with an overall career record of 152-85-5. He was named coach of the year twice during his 13 years as head football coach at Fairfield where his wrestling teams won three state titles. His Tuscaloosa athletic program in the early 1970s was named the best in the county under his leadership as athletic director. He also coached wrestling at both schools. A graduate of Clinton High School (Iowa) and the University of Alabama.
LOUISE MARBUT – Spent 20 of her 28 years in education at The Donoho School where she coached for 15 years, winning five state volleyball championships and finishing runner-up six times while posting more than 600 wins. A promoter of girls athletics for more than three decades, she hosted three AHSAA state volleyball tournaments. A principal at Donoho since 1980, she also coached a short time at Anniston. A graduate of Jacksonville High School and Jacksonville State University.
ROBERT F. MOSBY – Coached for 26 of his 43 years in education, serving as head football coach at Cobb Avenue for 18 years and four years at Escambia County Training School where he earned coach of the year honors. His overall football coaching record is 157-44-13. He served as assistant principal at Cobb Avenue Junior High and Anniston Middle School for 17 years. A graduate of Simmons High School and Tennessee State University.
HOMER SMILES – Coached for 22 years – 15 at Leeds and three at Fairfield – where his teams posted an overall record of 118-52-7 and won 10 Dental Clinic Championships in 13 appearances, both records. Also a coach for four years at West End, he never had a losing season in all his years of coaching. He served a term as president of the AHSAA Central Board during his nine-year tenure and was coach of the year twice. He was principal at Leeds Junior High for 10 years. A graduate of West End High School (Birmingham) and Howard College.
JACK B. STEWART – Coaching success followed him for 23 years – 12 at Saks and seven at Lineville. At Lineville, his football teams compiled a 54-11-3 overall record with a state championship in 1961 while his basketball teams posted an overall 101-43 record and finished runner-u in the state tournament twice. His Saks football teams compiled a 77-32-5 overall mark with a state runner-up finish. He served on the AHSAA District Board for 11 years. A graduate of Lineville High School and Jacksonville State University.
JACK TUCKER – Coached basketball at Russellville for 25 years where his teams compiled an overall record of 484-218 with a state championship (1982) and nine trips to the state tournament. His three-year stint at Hanceville put his overall career record at 533-242 and the number of 20-plus victory seasons at 16. He was state coach of the year twice and coached in the all-star game. He coached golf at Northwest Community College for five years. A graduate of Cullman High School and the University of Alabama.
HOWARD WALDREP – Has been a strong advocate of high school athletics for 38 years, as a coach and administrator. His 12 basketball teams at Piedmont posted a 192-92 record, but he distinguished himself as an administrator during his 24-year tenure at Walter Wellborn. He served a term as president during his 12 years as a member of the AHSAA Central Board where his opinion and judgment were highly regarded. A graduate of Anniston and Jacksonville State University.