AHSAA | Alabama High School Athletic Association

PAUL CHRISTOPHER - Has provided services to high schools for the past 32 years--25 years as a football official and seven years as a key committee member of the Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Classic football game. He served two terms as president of the Metro-Mobile officials association and was dedicated to the training of young officials. He worked numerous playoff games and ended his officiating career in the inaugural All-Star Classic in 1987. He is currently manager of Ladd Stadium. A graduate of Murphy High School.  

FRANK COTTEN - Contributed to T. R. Miller High School athletics for the last 30 years as a coach and administrator. Coached basketball for seven years with a 128-42 record and led seven football teams to a 65-19 record and three playoff appearances. Served in administrative capacities for 14 years, including six years as the high school principal. Served 14 years on the AHSAA District Board and six on the AHSAA Central Board which he now serves as president. A graduate of Coffeeville High School and Livingston University.  

FERMAN ELMORE - Spent 17 of his 30 years in education at Athens where he served as coach, principal and vocational counselor. He coached football there for 11 years and compiled a 67-29-7 record. Interrupting those years was a six-year stint at Dothan where his football teams were 32-22-5. He also served seven years as athletic director and assistant principal at Butler. Instrumental in the organization of the Tennessee Valley Conference, he was Coach of the Year in 1954, president of the coaches association and the TVC, and coached in two All-Star games. He also served on the AHSAA District Board four years. A graduate of Pickens County and the University of Alabama.  

JAMES KEY - Coached football for four years at Brilliant with a 22-9-5 record and 14 years at Greensboro with a 99-22 slate. As a basketball coach, he guided the first state tournament teams from both schools. Also, he coached in the 1954 all-star game and even served three years as volunteer coach at Brilliant in the early 1990s. After leaving coaching, he continued to serve in educational capacities, including seven years as Greensboro principal. A graduate of Evergreen High School and Troy State University.

WILLIAM McGEE - Spent all 31 years in coaching at Carrollton, the last 28 in leading his football teams to an overall record of 202-113-2 with state championships in 1974 and 1994. His teams finished in the final eight in 13 of 17 playoff appearances, including a runner-up spot in 1979. He was named state Coach of the Year twice and his teams won 10 or more games in nine separate seasons. A graduate of Carrollton High School and the University of Alabama.  

O. P. "Piggy" MITCHELL - Spent 31 of his 37 years in coaching at Jefferson County Schools where his Shades Cahaba, Hewitt-Trussville and Shades Valley teams compiled an overall record of 182-118-19 as he introduced the T-formation in the county. He had short coaching stints at Bankhead and Valley Head. Also, he introduced county schools to dirt court basketball and wrestling. Now deceased, he served as president of the AHSAA Fifth District Board for 25 years. A graduate of Simpson High School and Valparaiso University.

KENNY MORGAN - Coached 14 years at Woodlawn where his football teams won two state championships (1955 and 1956) and four city championships while posting a 78-48-6 overall record, including a 27-game winning streak in the mid-1950s and nine appearances in the Crippled Children’s Clinic. His baseball teams won three state championships in 1947, 1956 and 1959. The late coach served as athletic director of the Birmingham City Schools for five years. A graduate of Emma Sansom High School and Howard College (now Samford University).

RICHARD ROBERTSON - Served the Andalusia City Schools for 31 years--21 of those as head basketball coach whose teams have compiled an overall record of 375-180. His teams have made the state tournament seven times, including last year’s Final Four appearance. He also undertook the task of rebuilding the football program and guided the 1995 team to a 4-6 record after a winless slate the previous year. He also serves on the AHSAA District Board. A graduate of Ralph Bunch High School and Alabama State University.  

COMER SIMS - His A. G. Parrish (Selma) basketball teams established a record unparalleled in many sports - winning 88 consecutive regular season games during a three year period, including state championships in 1945 and 1946. His seven Selma teams produced six district titles and 16 all-state players. Also with brief stints at Abbeville, Butler County and Albertville, he coached all sports at each school while teaching a full schedule of chemistry and physics. The late coach served as Selma Parks and Recreation Director for 26 years. A graduate of Dadeville High School and the University of Alabama.

WAYNE TRAWICK - Coached football for 33 years--22 of those at Central of Phenix City where his teams have compiled a 170-79-1 overall record with the school’s first state championship in 1993. He also coached at Cottonwood, Dale County and Andalusia and has a career record of 241-118-9. A former president of the state coaches association, he served as head coach in the Alabama-Mississippi all-star game and coached twice in the state all-star game. A graduate of Abbeville High School and Troy State University.

MACK WOOD - Molding Elba's football program into one of the winningest in the state during 18 years at the helm, his teams posted a 150-59 overall record and won state championships in 1989 and 1992. He also coached for 10 years at Geraldine, T. R. Miller and Charles Henderson and has a career record of 214-89-4. His 1969 T. R. Miller team was also state champion. He coached in the state and the Alabama-Mississippi all-star games and was named state Coach of the Year twice. A graduate of Greenville High School and Troy State University.

BRYAN YATES - Coached basketball for 24 years at New Site and two years at Daviston where his teams won 503 games and five county championships, two area titles and reached the semi-finals in all four state tournament appearances. His teams won 20 or more games on 12 occasions, seven of them in a row during one stretch, and he coached in the all-star game. The school gymnasium is named in his honor. A graduate of Daviston High School and Jacksonville State University.