Garrett Hagin has been hired as the head football coach for Central High School following the resignation of Rick Wade.Hagin has a number of years experience coaching, including high schools, every level of college from junior college to 1A, professional arena football and NFL camps. This season will mark Hagin’s 25th year as a coach, 17 years at the college level, five at the high school level and 3 in Arena football.
He has served as head coach at Valleydale High School in North Carolina, Middle Georgia Junior College and in Arena football with the Bossier-Shreveport Battle Wings and the NIFL Lakeland Thunderbolts.
He last coached with the Steeldogs arena team in Birmingham, which suspended play after last season.
Hagin had been offered a job at Lyman Ward Military Academy this fall, but reconsidered after consulting with his family; he applied for the Coosa County job instead, and decided it was a better fit for him at this time.
His hiring was approved at a called meeting of the board of education Thursday night.
“I think it’s a great opportunity,” he said Friday. “I want to get started right way.”
He held a meeting at the school Friday to introduce himself to the players, parents, some of the coaches and others interested in the program.
He said the facilities offered a lot of potential, and he had been pleasantly surprised.
“There’s a lot to work with, it’s just a matter of getting in there and doing it right,” he said.
Hagin played his high school ball at Cameron, Wisconsin, and was a receiver at the University of Wisconsin at Superior. As a coach, he has made his career in the southeaster part of the country.
He was primarily involved with college ball, with some high school experience in between schools. He said he was also active as a scout for arena ball.
He was an assistant coach at McAdory High School in 2004 and at Thompson High School in 2005.
Other stops along the way include Mississippi College, the University of Central Florida, Middle Georgia College, the Lakeland Thunderbolts, the Bossier-Shreveport Battle Wings, the Steeldogs and camps for the Indianapolis Colts, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Miami Dolphins.
“Some people say, ‘He’s been all over the place and won’t stay at one place very long’,” he said. “In coaching, you don’t always have a lot of control over that. It’s up to the administration.
“I accept that (changing jobs) as part of coaching, and I look at it as a positive. That’s knowledge and experience I wouldn’t have if I hadn’t been in those situations.
“Some people think ‘you don’t know how the high school game’. After recruiting for 17 years, you pretty well know how the high schools run,” he said.
He said he had recruited in “pretty much every state this side of the Mississippi,” mostly in the southeast in high schools and at junior colleges all over the country.
He said his broad experience is “the biggest thing I have going for me. It gives me a lot of flex in thought process.”
The job in Hanover became available after the resignation of Wade, who left to take an assistant’s position at Beauregard High School under Smitty Grider, another former Central head man.
Hagin is married and has four children. His wife works in the insurance business in Birmingham.
He plans to have the team participate in a 7-on-7 event at Chelsea, July 28-29.
Central High Head Football Coaches:
Garrett Hagin 2008-
Rick Wade 2006-08 8-12
Smitty Grider 2005 5-5
Jeff Steers 2000-04 22-30
Keith Bullard 1992-99* 20-61
Deawood Keel 1990-91 0-20
Donald Jones 1988-89 3-17
*Joe Belyeu served as head coach during Bullard’s medical leave of absence for the 1997 season, a 0-10 year for the Cougars.
