AHSAA | Alabama High School Athletic Association

LOUIS BERRY       Louis Berry is a graduate of Covington County Training School and Alabama A&M University.       After starting with an 88-26 mark at Carver Junior High in Florala and a 37-12 record at Woodson High School, he spent 24 years at Andalusia Middle School where his boys and girls basketball teams compiled an overall record of 156-34 and won numerous Covington County and local invitational tournament titles.       He helped build the foundation for the successful Andalusia High School program which sent an impressive list of players to college and beyond, including eventual NBA star Robert Horry.       His colleagues hail him as a man of character, integrity, compassion and wisdom and credit him with helping maintain an atmosphere of patience and cooperation during the desegregation era.     RONALD CHAMBLESS        Ronald Chambless is a graduate of Cleburne County High School and Jacksonville State University.       A career teacher and administrator, Chambless began as a teacher, coach and assistant principal at Fruithurst Junior High in Cleburne County. After serving in similar positions at Bridgeport High School and Talladega Middle School, he became principal at Bibb Graves High School for seven years and at Alexandria High School for the last 22 years.       A fixture at Alexandria athletic events, his leadership, selfless dedication and strong work ethic helped Valley Cub girls and boys athletic teams win nine AHSAA state championships in a variety of sports. He created the Principal’s Club to recognize academic success by all students who maintain a 90 average.       His consistent commitment to those he serves is the foundation on which academic and athletic success at Alexandria High School has been built.    JIMMY GOLDEN       Jimmy Golden is a graduate of Carroll High School in Ozark. He attended Enterprise State Junior College and earned a degree from the University of Montevallo.      He spent three decades at Dothan High School, serving as a coach at various levels of the football, basketball and golf programs, and later as athletic director. His 19 boys basketball teams compiled a 327-155 record and made four visits to the AHSAA state tournament, including one appearance in the Class 6A title game and another in the semifinals.      Golden also was head football coach for four years, leading the Tigers to a 23-17 mark, two area championships and two state playoff appearances. In addition, he has mentored numerous young coaches who have gone on to be head coaches.      Named The Dothan Eagle’s basketball coach of the year five times and its football coach of the year once, he was inducted into the Wiregrass Hall of Fame in 2007.   NED HARBUCK      Ned Harbuck graduated from Enterprise High School, attended Holmes Junior College (Miss.) and earned his degree from the University of Alabama.      His first and only job after college was at Jackson High School where he coached boys basketball for 23 years, posting an impressive career mark of 498-152. From 1976-85 he guided seven Aggie teams to the state tournament with the 1979 team reaching the finals. His teams averaged 22 wins per season and at one stretch won 26 consecutive games.       Harbuck was also the head track coach for 20 years and the junior high football coach for seven. He served as Jackson’s athletic director from 1976-85.       As a player, he led Enterprise to a third-place finish in the 1958 state tournament, averaging 21.3 points in four games. When an injury cut short his playing career at Alabama, he became the freshman team coach for Crimson Tide Coach Hayden Riley.       ANGELO HARRIS      Angelo Harris graduated from McGill Institute (now McGill-Toolen) and the University of Alabama.      He served as the track and cross country coach at his high school alma mater from 1971-2008. He guided the Yellow Jacket cross country teams to seven girls and five boys state championships and 13 boys and three girls state runner-up finishes. During that time the school had 73 All-State cross country runners as well as 147 boys and 79 girls who earned All-County honors.       He served McGill-Toolen as assistant athletic director from 1991-97 and athletic director from 1998-2003. The school track was named in honor of him and his McGill coach, Pete Banks. He was a conference distance champion at Alabama.       Harris received the Cross Country Gold Award from Scholastic Magazine in 1989 and the John L. Finley Award for outstanding service to the coaching profession in 2003.   MORRIS 'DOC' HODGES      Morris “Doc” Hodges graduated from Amory High School (Miss.), the University of Mississippi and the University of Tennessee School of Dentistry.      While practicing in Birmingham for more than 40 years, he coached the first Berry (now Hoover) fast pitch softball team for three years and continued for 20 years as its pitching coach. He also was a successful softball coach in the city’s recreational leagues.      As a result of his ability to develop pitchers, 15 of his 46 players who earned college scholarships were pitchers. During this time, Berry/Hoover teams were 1,108-257, won five state championships and were runners-up twice in 17 state playoff appearances. His pitchers posted 407 shutouts, 63 no-hitters and 26 perfect games.      He is respected throughout Alabama as an ambassador for the game of fast pitch softball.   GEORGE 'SNOOZY' JONES      George “Snoozy” Jones graduated from Sidney Lanier High School and Virginia Tech and earned a teaching certificate from Huntingdon College.      He began his teaching and coaching career at Bellingrath Junior High School in Montgomery where, in three years, his teams posted records of 24-2 in football, 40-6 in basketball and won the city track title. He moved to his alma mater in 1961 where his track teams won two outdoor state titles, one indoor, one cross country and had one state decathlon champion.  NCAA champion Richmond Flowers was the team pacesetter.      While assisting in football and basketball, the Poets won three state football titles and four in basketball. He officiated high school and college football, basketball and track until 1986 and co-founded the Mid-State Association. In 1969 he went into private business.      He served as a team host for the AHSAA Super 6 Football Championships and as a coordinator for the Final 48 Basketball Championships   ROY KNAPP      Roy Knapp graduated of Gaylesville High School, East Mississippi Junior College, Livingston State College and earned a master’s from Mississippi State University.      During a coaching career that spanned five decades, Knapp coached at 10 Alabama high schools--Midland City (twice), Washington County, Choctaw County, Gaylesville, Ranburne, Randolph County, Macon Academy, Sand Rock, Spring Garden and Coosa Christian. He also coached in Mississippi and Tennessee, at a junior college and a U.S. Naval base.      Despite incomplete records, Knapp’s teams won more than 130 games. His leadership as principal and coach at Gaylesville was instrumental in keeping the school open after it was destroyed by a fire. During the summers he played minor league baseball for 13 teams.       Now deceased, he was followed in the coaching profession by his son Buddy and his grandson Brian.   BILL MARSH      Bill Marsh graduated from Woodlawn High School and Howard College (now Samford University).      He coached track for six years at Hewitt-Trussville High School, football for one year at West End High School, and also coached at Florida State University, the University of Tampa and Troy State University.       Returning to Birmingham in 1968, he served as principal at Comer School for two years and Phillips High School for eight years, then served in multiple roles for the Birmingham city school system including Director of Schools and Athletic Director. As Athletic Director from 1986-95, he helped city schools earn five state titles in boys basketball, two in volleyball, one in girls basketball and one in girls track.      In addition, he established athletic programs at Birmingham middle schools and resurrected baseball at city high schools.   JACKIE O'NEAL      Jackie O’Neal graduated from Reeltown High School and Livingston State University (now University of West Alabama).      He returned to Reeltown in 1978 to serve as a teacher and assistant coach, helping the Rebels to a Class 2A title in 1987 and a runner-up finish in 1984. He took over as athletic director and head football coach in 1988 and guided his alma mater to appearances in six state championship games, winning titles in 2001 and 2009. In 24 seasons, Reeltown teams have posted a 205-91 record and made the state playoffs 21 times.      O’Neal was honored as coach of the year by the Alabama Sports Writers Association in 1991, 1992 and 2001 and the Alabama Football Coaches Association in 2008. He was head coach of the Alabama team in the 2007 Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Game.      He has served on the AHSAA’s Central Board of Control, Legislative Council and Football Committee.    DANNY PETTY      Danny Petty graduated from Lee High School in Huntsville, Athens State College and earned a master’s degree from UAB.      In 28 years as a head basketball coach at four Alabama high schools and one in Tennessee, his teams have a 607-328 record (through 2011). He was boys head coach at J.O. Johnson, Hazel Green, Madison Academy and Bob Jones in Alabama and the head girls coach at Lincoln County, Tenn. He is the only coach to win state titles at three different AHSAA schools – J.O. Johnson (1987), Madison Academy (2006) and Bob Jones (2010).      Petty was named Alabama coach of the year three times and NFHS state coach of the year once. He was inducted into the Huntsville-Madison County Hall of Fame in 1997.      As a high school player, he was the tournament MVP while leading Lee to the 1968 state championship and was named to The Huntsville Times 1960s All-Decade Team. In college, he was team MVP at Snead State Junior College and a team captain at Athens State.    KEN WHITTLE      Ken Whittle graduated from Port St. Joe (Fla.) High School and Huntingdon College.      He took a position as a teacher and assistant football coach at Trinity Presbyterian School in 1978 and never left. Three years later he started the school’s baseball program. His 30 teams have won 570 games (through 2011) and state championships in 1985, 1996 and 2000. The Wildcats advanced past the first round of the state playoffs in 19 of the last 21 seasons.      Whittle has been The Montgomery Advertiser coach of the year eight times and was the Alabama Sports Writers Association coach of the year in 2009. He is a member of the AHSAA Baseball Committee.      He has continued to assist in football and coached basketball at various levels of the program, including head coach one season.