Truth be told, Freeman and Hoover coach Josh Niblett could be on college coaching staffs if they chose to be. And while some schools showed interest in him taking his talents there, the recruiting slowed down, no matter how much he was thrashing his competition on a team that was one of the best around. At Eufaula, Rigby says Alabama assistant Charles Kelly is good at staying in touch. Those hirings mean the two highest-paid high school football coaches in Alabama compete in the same region. Matt Jackson High School Teacher/ Head Men's Basketball & Cross Country Coach. And you sort of follow it, the top 70, 80, 90 kids end up going D-II and whatnot. MOODY Thompson High School co-defensive coordinator Jake Ganus was introduced as the new coach for the Moody Blue Devils on Friday, December 17. All are seniors and key contributors on this Vikings squad making its bid for the schools first state championship since 2000. information in hopes our visitors will participate in assisting Things started off good for him the summer before his freshman year at Central. As does Thompson now. Its so rewarding what we deal with. He felt he was on his way. Theres no tearing stuff down. CIF Fundamentals of Coaching (Information provided by district). Thompson High School Head Football Coach Mark Freeman is the face of the Thompson Warriors, the 3-time defending Class 7A State Champions. Twenty-four (Thompsons jersey number as a freshman before he switched to his current No. A new barbecue restaurant in Kannapolis is taking shape. But this transfer portal has really hurt a kid like Jaiden because the decision for these college coaches is, Do I take a high school kid, or do I wait and see if I can find somebody in the portal that may have played at a little bit lower level but the kid is averaging seven points and four rebounds and has a year of experience under him? This whole portal thing, I think, has hurt the true high school kid.. He knows theyll be there after that, too, no matter where he is in life. What I like to see is you actually show up, Rigby said. Hes ranked No. Higgins said Harsins message was an eye-opening experience for Mars Hill players about the rigors of college football: He was very adamant on: This is going to take some time. Its a sort of throwback team, considering how offense is so valued in the game of football today. Thompson went 0-10 last year and 7-23 in three years under Mike Montgomery. When Etheridge visited in January, it was the first and only time we have communicated with Auburn. Vigor has two rising talents: junior defensive end Michael Towner and freshman offensive lineman Micha Debose. His uncle and role model, former Central Cabarrus football standout Michael Ricks, had a lot to do with that, coaching Thompson on his Concord Comets team and putting him through drills like dribbling with a tennis ball to improve his ball-handling. Jaiden soared, proving himself in the AAU ranks, as well as with his C.C. That would probably be one of my biggest accomplishments no matter if its winning a state championship or scoring 1,000 points. Taylor High School. Friday afternoon drive time on I-65 was the cause for that. While at Bessemer Academy, Coach Freeman also served as the head baseball coach. Cornel Thompson, who led West Orange-Stark to four state championship games and won two of them, told . No, we got a great person, Vickers said. New Auburn defensive line coach Jimmy Brumbaugh has already been around at Highland Home, where defensive end Keldric Faulk is a top-100 recruit who attended Auburns recent junior day. As of Wednesday, the plan is to play. Jesuit head coach Matt Thompson was honored Thursday (Sept. 17) at One Buc Place as the Bucs' "Coach of the Week." Thompson earned the honor following Jesuit . Coach Freemans football program has a trademark phrase. You couldnt really see it, unless you had Phyllis Anns keen eyes. 1 player in the state in the 247Sports Composite. Watch this highlight video of the Thomson (GA) football team in its game Recap: Thomson vs. Westside 2022 on Nov 3, 2022. Being able to keep that promise for my grandma? The additions come as KFC recently removed some menu items, including wings, popcorn chicken and cookies, to make room for new additions. I cant wait to see him play next year. A lot of people thought Oh you just got a great coach. That both programs are in the Birmingham metro area is a feather in the cap for the Crimson Tide football program, which is just a short ride away. He ran from the other side of the field all the way to our sideline and tackled the quarterback, Fegans said. Email Brandon Graves. That now makes him the highest-paid coach in Alabama high school football. Here's an updated ranking of how Class 7A, Region 3's salary structure adds up: The salary data isn't everything. As for his immediate plans at Moody, Ganus said that he was looking to build on the recent success the team has found. No JV for you, rookie. In Freemans first two seasons, Thompson finished with a 5-5 record. When Ed Rigby coached junior college football in Mississippi, a colleague told him an essential truth about recruiting that has stuck with him through his three decades in the industry: In the years that you have players, you are everybodys best friend. Oh, he was still a really good player for Central Cabarrus, a team hed helped to a 30-1 record the previous season, all while being named the player of the year in his conference. But Johnson was confused that we just signed three defensive players to major universities, and only one of them had an Auburn offer. (Two went to Clemson; the other to Tennessee.) And it was Bethel who introduced him to the Vertimax, a machine designed to improve jumping ability. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. There are now five. I was always that guy growing up that you could negative motivate me. He moved on to Gulf Shores in 2009. After graduation, he coached at various high schools. The viral TikTok quiz, explained, Tuscaloosa McFarland Chick-fil-A is moving. But when the opportunity opened at Thompson for an athletic administrator and a special education teacher, Hester and Simpson both knew it was the right fit. Wyoming Cowboys 2023 football schedule released. Media. Congratulations to Jontavis Curry, Noah Story, Marcellus Brigham and Jordan Jones for being selected the Thomson players of the game. Calera High School is searching for a new head football coach after Trey Simpson, above, joined Thompson High School in an athletic administration role. Position: Football Coaches, San Rafael High School 23/24 Season. He even led the team with 2.7 steals for a squad that went from six wins the year before to 17. Buildings are filling up. Were like a family. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. She had never seen the room that full and the specially-called board meeting was still about 15 minutes away. This will be Ganuss first head coaching position. Harsins future was under the microscope in February during an internal investigationinvolving his treatment of players and staff. Harsin has a golden opportunity to rebound: The upcoming 2023 talent pool in Alabama is the states deepest and most top-heavy of this century. "Its a blessed day," Freeman said. ALABASTER, Ala. In one sense, this is hardly the kind of town that comes to mind when you think of nationally relevant high school football programs. Wallace is expected to transfer. To me it made a lot of sense. I can work as good as anybody, Freeman said. In the last 20 years, Alabama averaged 4.05 top-100 recruits, 7.05 top-200 and 10.3 top-300. Freeman landed his first head football coaching job at Bessemer Academy in 1998. 11 in the 247Sports Composite and already stands 6-foot-2, 180 pounds. So if you can do it at that level, you can do it at an SEC level.. Actually, me and Gavin have been talking about this since we were little boys. The first-year coach Roderick Thompson of Anderson High School has had quite a journey to be a first-year head coach in high school. We also add a fantastic teacher to our school building. Former star Marlon Humphrey was an All-American at Alabama and is one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL. He will also receive a supplement of $30,909.20 as head football coach and another $30,909.20 as the athletic director for Alabaster City Schools. The run included a 31-game win streak, eventually snapped by Daphne late in the 2014 season. Its almost a collective awe that funnels out when his teammates describe Woods. The board approved him through a solitary personnel action. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (each updated 1/26/2023). New Orleans (La.) 17 nationally, and his teammates are often wowed by his skills. I grew up right down the road from Alabaster, Freeman said. His Rebels were also runner-up in 2001 and 2005. Everybodys thinking about the recruiting process, Thompson said. Thompson was approved as Spring Grove's new coach Monday night. Former Auburn defensive line coach Nick Eason visited Eufaula in December, but he is the only Auburn staffer Rigby has seen at the school. One night, after the Vikings played in the holiday tournament at Mount Pleasant, I was walking to my car to head off and write my story. Prior to taking the job at Spanish Fort, Freeman went 13-9 in two seasons at Gulf Shores and took the Dolphins to the playoffs in the first season. In the spring of 1978, Dodge's freshman year at Jefferson, the school hired a new coach, former Yellow Jacket Ronnie Thompson, to restore some pride in the football team. 27. He backed off that pledge seven months later and decommitted. His seven year record in baseball was 116-70, with two Final 4 appearances. Ive just been working like crazy since then. Please try a new search. Big-time high school football in Alabama can be classified as an arms race. Central Cabarrus coach Jim Baker poses for a photo with his four seniors: Gavin Bullock (30) Micah Murray (33) Adriel Miller (14) Elijah Ford (22) and Jaiden Thompson (3). Football Coaches. 1 and No. So if everybody took two players at the Apps and East Carolinas and Wilmingtons and all that, a lot of kids get to go play. The most accomplished high school football coach in Southeast Texas is calling it a career. University of Northern Colorado . But the very good, solid kid that you can win with and (have) represent the school and do the right thing, theyre holding way back on these kids right now.. Copyright 2002-2023 Blackboard, Inc. All rights reserved. How many games did Tommy Thompson play? "Some of those kids who didn't have all the stars that (Harsin) brought in are really good players. And the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are among those who have taken notice. That defeat still rings in the ears of the team, especially the defense, which isnt accustomed to teams crossing the goal line once, never mind how many times Hoover did. The great thing is that Thompson has found peace in it all. I would see everybody get these offers, and sometimes people base their lives on one game. The two lowest-paid coaches on this salary scale both led their teams to the playoffs in 2014. They advanced to the state semifinals in 2017 and the state championship game in 2018 before winning state titles in 2019 and 2020. Its kind of like a letdown, you know, because everybody has all these big expectations. The others welcomed him because he could play and was a great teammate. You can cancel at any time. Thompson . He had a two-year stint at Gulf Shores before Spanish Fort lured him away. var field59 = field59 || {}; Jaiden Thompson (3) busts a move to get to the basket. But its worked out really great.. The Warriors (13-1) captured a third straight 7A championship while making a fourth straight Super 7 appearance. They understand what that does for high school that makes it an exciting day when Coach Harsin or Coach Saban shows up.. This is a year when Rigby does have players most notably four-star defensive lineman Yhonzae Pierre and three-star offensive lineman Patrick Screws. He wanted to change the narrative.. Over the next ten seasons his teams went 101-21 and won four AISA State Championships. In another, it makes perfect sense. 6 recruits in the states 2023 class attend Carver: defensive lineman James Smith and edge Jaquavious Russaw. Contact Us. History of High School Football in Alabama Coaches Project 2023 Head Coach changes New Topic Reply to Topic Printer Friendly: Previous Page: Author: Topic : Page: of 4: vvala45 New Forum Member. Eason was also frequently praised for his recruiting. Wendell stayed at public school, he stayed grounded, he stayed with Cox Mill for four years. To borrow some real estate phrasing its seems that the ultimate in "curb appeal" for a high school and its community is to have a high-profile head football coach that commands a top salary. Alabaster, AL thompsonwarriors.org Joined February 2016. That's very likely to change, but that's where things stand today. Theyve got a great group of young players coming back.. But after realizing that I wanted it for myself, then things just started to pick up.. Located about 20 miles south of Birmingham, Alabaster is known for its industry and the minerals it mines. Tweets & replies. High school coaches who have been visited by Harsin in the last year have appreciated his honesty and his straightforward approach. Im trying to set them up for interceptions and PBUs.. He even referenced the model set by former Cox Mill star Wendell Moore Jr., who led the Chargers to back-to-back state titles before going on to shine at Duke and become the first Cabarrus County-bred athlete to be chosen in the NBA Draft. 5 high school football team via SB Live, was to put its undefeated record on the line against another Birmingham-area program known for. His teacher contract will be $46,113 annually. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (each updated 1/26/2023). The average coach in the region now makes $98,911 per year and the coaches now make a combined $791,288 in annual salary. Thompson coach Mark Freeman sent Hardy, who had missed an extra point in the first quarter, back on the field for a game-winning 35-yard goal try with four seconds remaining.