January 2026 E-Edition

Alabama Ledger www.AlabamaLedger.com

The Sports Ledger www.TheSportsLedger.com

PAGE 4B January 2026 E-Edition

12 Selected for Induction into Alabama High School Sports Hall of Fame’s Class of 2026

Twelve major contributors to prep athletics in Alabama have been selected for induction into the Alabama High School Sports Hall of Fame in the Class of 2026. The induction will take place at a banquet held at the Montgomery Renaissance Hotel and Spa Convention Center March 26, 2026. The Class of 2026 was announced by AHSAA Executive Director Heath Harmon and Alabama High School Athletic Directors & Coaches Association (AHSADCA) Director James T. Lawrence, Sunday, Nov. 16. The class was selected at a meeting of the selection committee assembled by the AHSADCA. Sixty nominations were submitted by member schools and other organizations. The Class of 2026 include administrators, coaches and one selection from the “old timer” category. Those individuals selected were: administrators Jamie Chapman, John Hardin, Kimberly Kiel, and Willie Moore, football coaches Jeff Smith and Larry Strain; basketball coaches Ricky Austin, Owen Butts, Anthony Edwards, Willie Maxey, and Joseph Pettway; and selected from the “Old-Timers’ Division was track coach Samuel Pettaway. Mr. Chapman is deceased. This group includes 12 individuals who managed to combine their teaching and coaching skills with the kind of leadership qualities that others have recognized in them. Three of these individuals, Mr. Chapman, Mr. Hardin, and Miss Kiel, were elected by their districts to serve on the AHSAA Central Board of Control. Hardin served two tenures as board president and Miss Kiel is currently serving as the CBOC vice-president. “What a difficult task our Hall of Fame selection committee had this year – and every year,” said AHSAA Executive Director Heath Harmon. “It was very heartwarming to see so many individuals nominated from all across the state who truly have made a lasting positive impact on so many lives.” Lawrence also praised the committee and the member schools for their roles in the nomination and selection process. “This was indeed a difficult job pairing down the selections to just 12 as the bylaws require. We appreciate all the member schools who submitted their respective nominees. The nominees have dedicated their lives to helping promote and support education-based athletics. We can’t thank them enough for their service and sacrifice.” Sponsors of the Hall of Fame program are the Alabama High School Athletic Directors & Coaches Association (AHSADCA) and the AHSAA. The corporate partners include Alabama Public Health, Alabama Power, ALFA, Coca-Cola, Encore Rehabilitation, Jack’s, Future 1s, TeamIP and Wilson Sporting Goods. The first class was inducted in 1991. These 12 new inductees will push the total enshrined into the Alabama High School Sports Hall of Fame to 427. RICKY AUSTIN (COACH): A graduate of Spring Garden High School (1984), Southern Union Community College and Jacksonville State University (1995), Austin, 60, combined his love for basketball and family to another level. He returned to his alma mater in 1996 and has remained there ever since. He has coached boys’ and girls’ basketball, and volleyball over the last 30 years – with the rare kind of success few ever attain. Still active, his won-loss record coaching girls’ basketball is 790-169 heading into the 2025-26 season. He also coached the boys’ team, but stepped down a few years ago with a 216-182 record. His combined varsity girls’ and boys’ record is 1,006 wins, 351 losses, and nine girls’ state championships. He has coached volleyball since 1996 compiling a 688-323 record with three state titles. With his wife Dana by his side for many of those years, his girls’ teams have won Class 1A state titles in 2002, 2004, 2005, 2008, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2020, 2023, 2024, and last season (2025) – earning 1A Coach-of-Year honors from the AHSADCA/AHSAA each year. He was named the NFHS Alabama Coach of the Year for girls’ basketball in 2023 and has been selected by the Alabama Sportswriters Association as 1A girls’ coach of the year eight times. His girls’ team in the 2007-08 season finished 36-0 and followed with a 30-3 record the next season. The program has won the 1A girls’ basketball title the last three years with a combined 105-3 record. His teams have won 30 or more games 14 times – including the last six seasons. His daughter Ace Austin earned Miss Basketball honors in 2004 and 2005 and is currently a freshman at the University of Alabama. He and his wife Dana were named HPER Female and Male Alumni of the Year in 2005. Spring Garden High School’s basketball Court was named in his honor in 2005. OWEN BUTTS (COACH AND OFFICIAL): A graduate of Robert E. Lee High School (1969), Butts, 74, spent two years at Alexander City Community College on a basketball scholarship, then moved to the University of Montevallo and continued his collegiate basketball career earning his college degree in 1973. He began his teaching and coaching career in 1973 at Vincent High School, moved to Pelham in 1975, and to Shades Valley in 1977 – where he remained though 1996. He was head basketball coach and assistant football coach at each stop. He had tenures as a basketball and football coach at Jess Lanier and Prattville before retiring in 2001. He came out of retirement to work with John Carroll Catholic as a volunteer coach – with highlight the Cavaliers’ compiling a 36-0 record in 2003 and won the AHSAA Class 6A state title before a crowd estimated of 18,800 at the BJCC Arena, the largest crowd at a high school game in AHSAA history. He also returned as a head coach from 2003-2007 at Pelham and closed his basketball and football coaching career as a volunteer coach with John Carroll, Jess Lanier/Bessemer City, and Thompson. His overall basketball coaching record was 551-346 with 14 Jeffco Tourney championships, 13 area/region championships, three Final Four appearances, and was selected Jeffco Basketball Coach of the Year nine times. During his football coaching career, his teams won 130 games and played in two state finals. He was chosen the Football Working Coach of the Year twice by the ALFCA. While he was serving as a teacher and coach, he had a second avocation as a baseball official and was a founding member of the Shelby County Baseball Umpires Association (SCBUA) in 1973, serving as its president since 1975. He has spent much of his time as an instructor and mentor for baseball officials, worked several state championship series, and received the AHSAA Distinguished Service Award in 2007. Butts was enshrined in the Alabama Officials’ Hall of Fame (2020), the University of Montevallo Athletic Hall of Fame (2001) and the Alabama JUCO Hall of Fame in 1994. He was named to the Silver Anniversary JUCO basketball Team in 1992. JAMIE CHAPMAN (ADMINISTRATOR): James “Jamie” Chapman grew up in Pickens County and returned to his roots for his long and fruitful career in education. A graduate of Gordo High School (1986), Shelton State Community College, and the University of Alabama (1994), he earned his masters’ degree from the UA in 2000. He was a key member of Gordo’s 1985 state football championship team. Chapman, who passed away at the age of 57 in 2025, began his career in education in 2001 and had immediate success as a member of the football staff when Gordo won the state title. He moved into the principal position at his alma mater in 2006 where he remained through 2012. The school’s baseball program won the state title in 2011. In 2012, he became the Pickens County Superintendent of Education and remained in that position until 2024. During his tenure, all three high schools in his system (Aliceville, Gordo and Pickens County) won either a football, baseball or basketball state championship. Chapman, who dedicated his life’s work to making a positive difference in the lives of the children in Pickens County, served on the AHSAA District 7 Board and on the AHSAA Central Board of Control. He received the Alabama Career Tech Award of Merit (2018), was one of nine finalists for Alabama Superintendent of the Year in 2016, and was chosen SMART Clinic School of Health Model Pioneer (2019). Chapman was elected to the Alabama Superintendent Association Board and served as president in 2023-24. He was recognized that same year as the City of Gordo Pioneer of the Year. At his passing, he and his wife Candy had been married for 36 years and had three boys – with all three becoming educators serving as a teacher and coach in the Pickens County School System at Gordo. ANTHONY EDWARDS (COACH): Edwards, 54, grew up in Lee County graduating from Beauregard High School (1990) and Auburn University (1990). He joined the Loachapoka school staff in 1997 – and remained for the next 26 years. He worked as an assistant or head coach during his tenure. Most notably, however, was his role as a basketball and track coach. His girls’ basketball teams reached the state tournament

Submitted Photo

Spring Garden Coach Ricky Austin

Final 4 at the BJCC six times (1998, 2005, 2014, 2018, 2022, 2023) and won the Class 1A state championship in 1998. His girls’ teams had 19 regional tournament appearances and won the area title 15 times. Edwards had 512 wins when he stepped down. During that time, he also beat cancer – getting inspiration from his caring students. He coached his 500th win in 2023. Edwards was selected the AHSAA Class 1A Making as Difference recipient in 2021 and was named by the Opelika-Auburn News Coach of the Year four times. His motto was simple. “My team taught me discipline and listening will take you a long way. You don’t have to have a lot of talent. Sometimes you just have to be able to listen.” He also coached track and field with his teams annually finishing in the Top 5 in Class 1A. One player, Kaitlyn Hill, won 16 championships during her career at Loachapoka. She went on to excel in college at the University of West Alabama with an outstanding career competing in the Gulf South Conference. JOHN HARDIN (ADMINSTRATOR): Born in Jackson (MS), Hardin, 69, grew up Marion County in the small town of Hackleburg, graduating in 1974 and earning his college degree four years later at the University of Mississippi. He finished his master’s at West Alabama. He began his career as an educator at Amory (MS) where he taught and coached through 1983. He then moved back home to Hackleburg to begin a tenure that would last for the next three decades. He made his impact first as a teacher and coach – guiding the Panthers’ football team to a 118-98 record, 12 state playoff appearances and seven region championships from 1980-2008. Hardin also served as the school’s head girls’ softball coach with even greater success compiling a 246-119 record from 1988-2000. His teams won five area titles, advanced to two Final 4 appearances, and four Elite Eight appearances. He was girls’ head basketball coach from 1992-2005 with 236 wins, 106 losses, four area crowns, two Elite 8 appearances, two Northwest Region titles and two Final Four appearances. As impressive as his coaching success was, his remarkable rise to become one of the AHSAA’s strongest leaders as a principal was one of his shining moments. As the Hackleburg principal, he served 23 years on the District 7 Legislative Council, eight years on the AHSAA Central Board of Control with two terms as CBOC president. His sage advice and wise counsel helped mold the AHSAA’s future. He served on the Finance Committee, Re-classification Committee, Long-Range Planning Committee, and Hall of Fame Selection Committee during his time on the board. While his leadership statewide was important, his leadership at home after a tornado destroyed much of his town and county and the high school was his finest moment. “The true test was in 2011,” said nominator Ann West, Superintendent of Marion County Schools. “The April 27 tornadoes that year destroyed both the elementary and high schools in Hackleburg,” she stated in her recommendation letter or Hardin. “Mr. Hardin stepped up and provided great leadership during a very trying time. Not only were the schools destroyed, but the entire town was also destroyed. For the next four years, they had school in modular units. It was a tough situation that Mr. Hardin made the best of every day – and did it with a great attitude.” Those who watched his leadership at work certainly agreed. Hardin was named the Hackleburg Alumnus of the year in 2019 and earned the AHSAA’s coveted Class 1A Making a Difference Award in 2019. Hardin was inducted into the Marion County Sports Hall of Fame in 1999. KIMBERLY (KIM) KIEL (ADMINISTRATOR): Kimberly ‘Kim’ Kiel, 51, has shown tremendous leadership and success in every challenge put before her in her career as an educator. A graduate of Northview High School (1992) in Dothan, the outstanding high school athlete attended Faulkner University (1997) and the University of North Alabama (1999) on athletic scholarships, and UAB (2007), earning her Bachelors’ degree, Masters’ degree, and Educational Administration Certificate at each stop. She was on the Dean’s list and President’s List at all three schools. She joined Pelham High School in 1999 as a teacher and girls’ basketball coach. She held that position through 2005, then coached the volleyball team and served as assistant athletic director from 2007-2010. She became the school’s athletic director in 2010 and moved to assistant principal in 2013. In 2014, she became the Pelham School System athletic director, and in 2020 she was named the high school principal. She served in that role until 2024 when became Assistant Superintendent of Pelham City Schools. At the same time, from 2005-2015, she was an AHSAA basketball official and earned the State Finals Official Award. She also was named AHSAA Athletic Director of the Year in 2018, was elected AHSADCA President, was selected District 5 Principal of the Year in Alabama, and was presented the AHSAA’s prestigious Class 6A Making a Difference Award. She joined the AHSAA Central Board of Control and became the first female elected an at-large CBOC spot from in AHSAA history. During her career she somehow found time to continue officiating women’s basketball – rising to officiate the NCAA Women’s Division II National Final Four. Kiel was named the Shelby County Coach of the Year in 2002, was inducted into the Shelby County Sports Hall of Fame, and played a key role for Pelham’s rising success in academics and special programs. WILLIE EDWARD MAXEY (COACH): Graduating from Selma’s R.B. Hudson School in 1961, Maxey, 81, played in the Alabama Interscholastic Athletic Association (AIAA) before its merger with the AHSAA. He earned his Bachelors’ degree in 1966 and became a teacher and coach at Selma High School serving in various roles including teach, coach and vice-principal for more than 35 years. He coached the JV boys’ basketball team and helped Coach A.A. Sewell with the varsity. Maxey became the varsity boys’ head coach in 1989 where he remained through 2000. When the AHSAA moved the state basketball championships from Tuscaloosa to Birmingham and the BJCC in 1994, Maxey guided Selma to the Class 6A state championship beating LeFlore in the finals that first year. He got the Saints back to the

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