By By BRUCE HIXON Sports Editor
First, W.S. Neal lost its head football coach to Walker High School. Now it is losing its head boys basketball coach to the same school.
David McCollum informed both his team and W.S. Neal officials he had accepted a position at Walker last week.
In addition to his basketball duties, McCollum also coached the W.S. Neal tennis program this spring and was an assistant coach for the W.S. Neal Middle School football team last fall. This was McCollum's first year at W.S. Neal.
McCollum is following the path of Shane Smothers, who left W.S. Neal for Walker at the end of February.
Like Smothers, who is from nearby Curry, McCollum is also from the northwest part of the state where he went to high school at Arab.
See MCCOLLUM Page 9A three and a half hours away," McCollum said.
McCollum is taking over similar coaching responsibilities at Walker although in slightly different roles. McCollum will switch from boys to girls basketball and will become an assistant coach on Smothers' high school football coaching staff. McCollum will also serve as head tennis coach at Walker.
The Blue Eagles went 5-22 under McCollum's direction this past season although they did string together three consecutive wins during the final week of the regular season.
W.S. Neal had its most successful tennis season ever under McCollum's guidance this spring.
Ellis indicated a search for McCollum's replacement would begin immediately.