Photos by Erin Nelson.
Sean Calhoun, the new Vestavia Hills High School head football coach, stands at the 50-yard-line at Buddy Anderson Field.
There are a couple new high school football coaches in the Starnes Media coverage area this fall, both of them in Class 7A, Region 3.
At Vestavia Hills, Sean Calhoun has the daunting task of following Buddy Anderson, who the field at Thompson Reynolds Stadium is named for.
Tyler Crane is attempting to help Oak Mountain build upon one of its best seasons in school history in 2020, after Cris Bell left to take the job at Scottsboro.
Here’s a look at how they got there and plan to attack the 2021 season.
Calhoun entering new territory
Calhoun’s football life has taken him to places near and far, but his new gig will be his first experience in the state of Alabama.
He coached in the high school ranks in the state of Georgia the last several years, serving as an assistant coach at Berrien, Collins Hill and Colquitt County — coached by former Hoover High School head coach Rush Propst — before landing his first head coaching job at Carrollton.
He was the offensive coordinator for a Colquitt County team that went 30-0 across his two seasons there, winning a couple state titles along the way. At Carrollton, he won 51 games over the last five years, each year advancing to the quarterfinals of the state playoffs.
No matter who took over at Vestavia Hills, following the legendary career and legacy of Anderson would be no small task.
Although he has never coached in this area before, Calhoun is getting brought up to speed quickly on how Anderson was able to have such a strong impact on his players and the community.
I’m going to continue the foundation and fundamentals of coaching and running a successful program with loyalty, honesty, hard work, pride and being committed.
Sean Calhoun
He has no desire to alter that foundation.
“I’m going to continue the foundation and fundamentals of coaching and running a successful program with loyalty, honesty, hard work, pride and being committed,” Calhoun said. “A man is not going to be somewhere 43 years as the head coach unless he’s doing things the right way.”
Although, Calhoun knows he cannot do things exactly the way Anderson did things. Each person is unique and leads in a different manner. But the pillars that the Rebels’ program has been built on will not change, he said.
“The things you see on Friday night may look a little different, but the effort is still going to be the same. The commitment to winning is still going to be the same,” Calhoun said.
Photo by Erin Nelson. Starnes Media
Tyler Crane, the new head football coach at Oak Mountain High School, at the Oak Mountain football stadium at Heardmont Park.
Crane eager for his 1st shot
Crane nearly passed out when he got the phone call.
He has long strived to be a head coach, and Oak Mountain is the place he will get his first shot to be just that.
“I have worked my whole life for this moment,” Crane said. “It’s a big deal to me. I take a lot of pride in what I do.”
Crane’s coaching career has been a winding road to this point, taking him across the state. One of those stops was Oak Mountain, where he served as an assistant coach for two years, 2016-17.
He graduated from Jacksonville State University and has coached at Sand Rock, Winterboro, Cherokee County (twice), Foley, Northridge and most recently Central-Phenix City. He spent last year as part of Patrick Nix’s staff at Central.
Taking over a program he is already familiar with is something Crane counts as a great benefit.
I have worked my whole life for this moment. It’s a big deal to me. I take a lot of pride in what I do.
Tyler Crane
“It helps a ton,” he said. “I know what kind of community we have. I know some of the things that we can make better. I know all that going into it.”
In Bell’s tenure, Oak Mountain was known for its run-heavy, option-based offensive attack. Crane plans to be malleable to fit what his players do best.
“I want to make sure I can put these guys in the best scenario possible,” Crane said.
Upon getting that life-changing phone call from Oak Mountain Principal Dr. Kristi Sayers, Crane immediately called wife Megan to deliver the exciting news.
“We love the Birmingham area,” Crane said.
