By Justin Graves

Justin@athensnews-courier.com

KILLEN – Jackie Ferguson has seen a couple of good football players in his time. Now going into his 40th year of coaching football, he has won three Class 2A state championships at Hazlewood and sent numerous players on to play in college and the NFL.

So why does to Ferguson keep on coaching football? He says the answer is simple. “When you’ve been doing something you love for so long, it’s just hard to leave it.”

Ferguson got his first coaching job at Muscle Shoals as an assistant in 1966. He then went to Athens in 1967, where he served as an assistant under legendary coach Larry McCoy from 1967-1970. Ferguson then had coaching stints at West Morgan and Brooks before he came back to Athens as head coach from 1980-1984.

After leaving Athens, he took over at Hazlewood, where he took over a dynasty. Ferguson retired from teaching in the mid 90’s, but still helps coach football at Brooks under Jerry Hill.

The AHSAA paid due respect to Ferguson earlier this summer when they inducted him into the AHSAA Hall of Fame for his storied career.

“It’s a tremendous honor to be recognized that way,” Ferguson said. “I was really fortunate to have had so many outstanding young men play under me.

“If it hadn’t been for all of those guys, I never would have received this honor.”

Ferguson’s best years may have come at Hazlewood, but he said that he coached spectacular athletes everywhere he was at. He also attributes a lot of his success to the coaches he tutored under – like McCoy at Athens.

“Coach McCoy was a great football coach,” Ferguson said. “He is still special to me today. He took me under his wing and helped me get started.”

Ferguson established himself as a head coach when he took the helm at West Morgan, and built the Rebels into a strong program. He accumulated a 26-5-1 record while at West Morgan.

Some of Ferguson’s fondest memories as a football coach came when he was head coach at Athens. He said that he really loved the Athens community and their love for the Golden Eagles’ football tradition.

“I remember coaching in a lot of good football games while at Athens,” Ferguson said. “We had some battles with Hartselle, and that is when Steve Rivers was at Decatur. That was always a huge game.

“I can remember a few times when Athens Stadium was filled up to standing room only. Athens was in a transition period at that time, and we had a couple of rebuilding years, but we had some good years too.”

Ferguson said that he wanted to stay at Athens, but when his father had his first stroke they decided to move back to Town Creek.

He was hired as head coach at Hazlewood in 1985, and coaching career skyrocketed.

“We had a dynasty at Hazlewood,” Ferguson said. “We not only had some of the best athletes in the state, but also some really good kids.”

Ferguson sent numerous players on to play in college such as Chris Goode, Pierre Goode, Kerry Goode and Antonia Langham.

“There is a since of pride you feel when you see kids you coach go on to bigger and better things,” Ferguson said. “You get so close to these kids, they become almost like your children.

“You feel good when they do good and hurt when things don’t go right for them.”