
Vestavia Hills High School football stadium
The search to find a replacement for longtime Vestavia Hills High School football coach Buddy Anderson is underway, with the job posting being listed on Dec. 1.
Anderson, the winningest coach in the history of Alabama high school football, retired from his role as head coach of the Rebels after this past season, though he will remain with the high school as the dean of students. In the search for his replacement, school leaders told the Vestavia Hills Board of Education at the Nov. 30 meeting that they will look for many of the same traits that made Anderson so successful, both on and off the field.
“We need to find somebody who celebrates our entire school and entire community,” said Athletic Director Jeff Segars.
Segars said beyond hiring someone who knows their X’s and O’s and can win football games, the school system is looking for someone who has high character and is a good fit for Vestavia.
There will be a teaching position associated with the head coach’s role, though it is not known what exactly that teaching position will be, and the new coach must be certified to teach in Alabama.
Superintendent Todd Freeman, Assistant Superintendent Patrick Martin, VHHS Principal Tonya Rozell and Segars will interview the coaching candidates.
Martin and Segars also told the Board of their initiative to create a strategic plan for athletics. The plan is a “great opportunity” for the school system, Martin said.
“There’s a legacy we want to make sure we are capturing,” Martin said.
In an effort to provide a “premier athletic experience,” Martin said a strategic plan will help set expectations for coaches and students, examine facility needs, and focus on helping student-athletes be the best they can be. Segars said athletes develop skills at Vestavia that they will use long after they leave.
“Those lessons are more important than any wins or losses,” Segars said.
The school will work with Strategic Edge to create the plan. The organization has helped create similar plans for Division II colleges, Martin said. This is something not done at the high school level, Martin said, setting Vestavia apart from other schools.
The group will spend months meeting with stakeholders, holding focus group sessions, developing a written plan and are expected to present the plan to the Board next September, Martin said.
Freeman also gave an update on COVID-19 numbers. While numbers continue to rise, mirroring that of statewide numbers, Freeman said schools are still the safest place for students. While about 3.5% of the entire student body has tested positive at some point this school year, 0.16% tested positive after experiencing close contact at school, Freeman said.
Freeman also said it’s important for the community to partner with the school system in doing what it can to slow the spread of COVID-19.
In other business, the Board approved two policies, both updating language in required policies, one dealing with the prohibition of aiding and abetting sexual abuse and another dealing with equal employment opportunities.