Vestavia Hills names Jamie Harris as Rebels' new baseball coach

Jamie Harris will be Vestavia Hills High's new head baseball coach, Rebels Athletics Director Jeff Segars announced Tuesday.

Harris, a Vestavia Hills native, has been an assistant coach for the baseball and football teams for the past seven years. He coached hitting and infielders during the baseball team's Class 7A playoff run last season.

"It's an honor to be head coach of this team," Harris said. "I'm excited about how we're going to play and act and carry ourselves as a team."

Harris graduated from VHHS in 1996 and played for late Rebels coach Sammy Dunn, who guided the team to nine state championships in a decade. Harris said it was humbling to follow in Dunn's footsteps.

"I know I'm going to feel pressure to carry on his legacy and the name that Vestavia baseball is," Harris said.

"When I was younger, kids grew up dreaming of playing Vestavia baseball. You can see it in our rec league; it's bigger than anyone else's in this area. I want to carry on that tradition. We're never going to let that well run dry," Harris said.

Segars said Harris was an obvious choice to lead the Rebels.

"The vision that Jamie Harris has for where our program needs to be amazes me," Segars said. "I could not be happier for the young men of Vestavia to be a part of a program run by Jamie Harris and coached by men like Wes Kelley, Kris Thomas, Keith Trotman and Charlie Dickinson."

Harris replaces Tommy Walker, who resigned in late May. The Rebels were 24-14 last season and won Area 6 under Walker. The Rebels were ranked No. 1 in the season's final regular-season poll but lost to Thompson in the state quarterfinals.