Welsh among nine Hall of Fame inductees

PRESS RELEASE

MONTGOMERY — Nine major contributors to prep athletics in Alabama have been selected to the 18th class of the Alabama High School Sports Hall of Fame.

The 2008 class, which will be inducted at a March 17 banquet at the Renaissance Hotel at the Convention Center in Montgomery, includes coaches, administrators and contributors.

Selected were Alan Baker, Michael Cheatham, Don Cox, Greg Echols, James Findley, Rickey Johnson, Bob Pannone, Tammy Richardson and Dale Welsh. Cheatham and Findley are deceased.

The 17-member Hall of Fame Committee made the selections from the 53 nominations to the Hall of Fame, which is located at the State Office of the Alabama High School Athletic Association in Montgomery.

Sponsors of the Hall of Fame program are the Alabama High School Athletic Directors & Coaches Association and the AHSAA.  The corporate sponsors are al.com, Alfa Insurance, Regions, Coca-Cola, Encore Rehabilitation, ESP Screen Printing, Russell Athletic and Wilson.

To order tickets ($35 each), mail requests along with check or money order (payable to AHSAA) to: Alabama High School Athletic Association, P. O. Box 242367, Montgomery, AL 36124.  Additional information is available at 334-263-6994.

A thumbnail sketch of each 2008 inductee:

ALAN BAKER — T.R. Miller’s track coach from 1984-2005 developed the Tigers’ program into one of the best in the state.  The Brewton school won the state outdoor track championship under Baker’s tutelage in 1991, 1992, 2003 and 2004 and was runner-up in 1993, 1994 and 1996. His track team also won the indoor state crown in 1992 and was runner-up in 1991. His boys also won 13 section titles, including seven in a row from 1994-2000.  His girls won section titles twice (2003 and 2004). He also served as assistant football coach from 1984-2004 and was defensive coordinator from 1989-2004.  During that span, T.R. Miller won five state championships and finished second five times. The 1991 and 1994 teams were undefeated. Miller was the winningest team in the state from 1991-2000 (117 wins) and had a 27-game winning streak. He is a graduate of T.R. Miller and Auburn University.

MICHAEL CHEATHAM — The Brewton native, one of 10 children, coached Conecuh County Training School to four AIAA state basketball championships (1952, 1954, 1956, 1957) and one unofficial girls state crown over Westfield (1958). His boys team was also runner-up in 1955.  The girls title came after the AIAA had discontinued its championship program, but CCTS and Westfield were generally regarded as the two top teams.  His 1951-52 team finished 27-1 and his 1953-54 team was 39-0. He also coached football as an assistant and head coach. He graduated from Southern Normal High School and Alabama State University.

DON COX — Has been a football coach or administrator for 37 years, including 14 seasons as head coach at Russellville High School. Cox compiled a 184-69-4 overall record, including stints at Gordo (8-2-0), Brilliant (19-8-3) and Dora (35-15-1). His teams at Russellville finished second in Class 5A twice (1987 and 1992) and had a regular-season winning streak of 32 games at one stretch. He also served as assistant principal and principal at Russellville and is currently administrative assistant for the Russellville City Board of Education. A member of the AHSAA District 7 Board for 12 years, he has served on the AHSAA Central Board of Control since 1995, including a term as president.  He coached in the Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Classic in 1992 and was inducted into the Marion County Athletic Hall of Fame in 2004. He is a graduate of Hamilton High School and the University of Alabama.

GREG ECHOLS — One of the state’s most successful track coaches in AHSAA history, Echols has served as cross country and track coach at Mountain Brook High School since 1992.  He was the school’s Junior High track and cross country coach from 1980-1992.  His varsity boys cross country teams have won three state championships and have finished second four times. His girls have won five state 6A titles and were second three times. His girls indoor track team has seven state crowns, the outdoor girls team six and the boys indoor team one. His boys 4x800 relay team won the NIKE national championship in 2006. Active in the FCA and Young Life, he has been on the AHSAA track committee since 1993. He has served as indoor state track meet director since 1994, was state cross country meet director from 1992-1995 and has served as state multi-events meet director since 1999.  A graduate of Mountain Brook and the University of South Alabama.

JAMES FINDLEY — The Calera High School and University of Montevallo graduate coached at Holtville High School from 1960-65 and again from 1984-97, compiling a 259-117 boys basketball record during that span. His team reached the state tournament five times and the State Finals on four occasions,  including 1996 when his team won the Class 3A state championship. He was named Class 3A Coach of the Year in 1996 and won Metro honors six times. The popular teacher/coach also served as head football coach for two years, assistant coach for eight, was girls and boys tennis coach for five years, girls softball coach for two years and boys track coach for two. His last track team finished second in the state. Findley is now deceased.

RICKEY JOHNSON — After helping Hazlewood High School compile a 48-5 record from 1986-90 as an assistant coach, he took over the program and led the Golden Bears to even greater heights from 1990-2002. As head coach, his teams were 142-30 with state titles in 1990, 1991, 1992 and 2000. His 1993 team finished second. Hazlewood also won two state titles while he was an assistant coach. His overall coaching record, which included head-coaching stints at Mount Hope and Hatton, is 183-91-0. He was named Class 1A Coach of the Year in 1990, 1991 and 2000 and coached in the Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Classic in 2001. A graduate of Hatton High School and the University of North Alabama.

BOB PANNONE — A baseball and football player in high school at Baldwin County in 1954, the industrial engineering graduate of Auburn University began a long career in football officiating in 1966. He became an AHSAA observer of football officials in 1994 and the Southwest district director of officials in 1999. He has since been a fixture at AHSAA championship and all-star events, handling various duties. In 1999 he was awarded an honorary membership in the Alabama High School Athletic Directors and Coaches Association and in 2005 received the Distinguished Service Award for 42 years of service as an official from the AHSAA.

TAMMY RICHARDSON — A driving force behind volleyball in the AHSAA for the last 26 years, the Selma High School and University of Montevallo grad won more than 1,140 volleyball matches in her storied coaching career at Pelham High School. Two of her teams won 6A state titles and she guided Pelham to 17 state tournament appearances, including 11 Elite Eight tournaments. Her teams reached the  state finals four times. More than 50 of her players went on to play collegiately on scholarship and she produced two high school All-Americans and one National Player of the Year.  She was named the state volleyball coach of the year in 1993, ASAHPERD Female Coach of the Year in 1996, and National Federation Section 3 volleyball coach of the year in 1999. Richardson played a key role in developing the current Elite Eight state tourney at Pelham – one of the most popular events in the AHSAA annually.

DALE WELSH — Began his basketball coaching career at his alma mater, Spring Garden, in 1974 where he coached the boys basketball team to 188 wins. His 1979 team finished second in the state in Class 1A. He was 71-43 in four seasons as boys coach at Cherokee County and he also coached the girls to an 80-37 record with the 1992 team winning the Class 4A state championship. He was named Class 4A girls coach of the year after that season. He also coached baseball for eight years and football for two at Spring Garden. In 2005, Spring Garden named its gymnasium in his honor and he was inducted into the Cherokee County Sports Hall of Fame in 2007. He is a graduate of Jacksonville State University.