For the fifth year in a row next basketball season, the W.S. Neal Lady Eagle basketball team will have a new coach.
John Saxon, who coached the Lady Eagles this past 2010-2011 season has turned his resignation in at the school.
Saxon guided the Lady Eagles to a 5-19 overall record this season and placed third in the area.
The former Escambia County Lady Blue Devil coach before coming to W.S. Neal this past season, Saxon replaced Derek Roberts (09-10) at W.S. Neal who is now the boys head coach. Before Roberts at W.S. Neal, the Lady Eagles were coached by Olivia Stephens (08-09) and Steve Lambert (07-08).
After being hired for the job, Saxon commented as for being named head coach at a program that has seen many changes in recent years that “sometimes it takes many changes to find the right fit,” Saxon said. “My prayers are for the team, school and community that they have found a fit.”
Saxon said Wednesday that he couldn’t help but to remember that first interviewed for the story in the paper and was asked about his thoughts on being the fourth coach at W.S. Neal in four years.
“My comments are as clear today as it was on Aug. 21, 2010,” Saxon said. “Sometimes change has to take place in the coaching realm in order to find the right coach that fits the school’s administration philosophy. Looking back on the events of the season I feel that I was not a good fit for this position at this time, but I have no regrets in any way of being the girls head basketball coach at W.S. Neal.”
Saxon said he enjoyed the success that he had at W.S. Neal.
“We placed third in our area, the best finish in many, many years,” Saxon said. “We had two players voted on the all tournament team and I was able to get Keyvonnia Kyles a full ride scholarship to LBW to play basketball next season. I was able to buy warm-up suits and game socks for each girls and furnish home game meals for each home game and also provided meals on each away game for the girls realizing the last meal that they would eat would be at school during lunch.”
Saxon also incorporated the “game ball presentation program” that helped close the gap between the businesses in the community and W.S. Neal High School.
“I have come to love and appreciate each girl that was involved in the girls basketball program here at W.S. Neal,” Saxon said. “I also fell in love with the city of Brewton and East Brewton and the community. I have never in all the cities that I lived in found a city that is so willing to give. I thank Mr. and Mrs. Doctor Robert DeFrancisco, PHD, MP, Ray’s Cleaners, Lucas Tires and Welding Service, David’s Catfish, Jus Do, Terry Clark and the City Hall of East Brewton, Cannon Carpets, Brewton Fruit and Veggie and Marks, Brenda Fay’s Buffet, Vinyl Concepts, Mendoza’s Barrier Fence Company, Earl and Dennis Horton, Horton’s Insurance, Pitts Dozer Service, Midtown Service Station, Pizza Pro, DJ’s Paint and Body Shop, and Quick Stop for their support and believing in me.”
Saxon, who has seen many jobs and stops in his journeys changed careers in 2001 from engineering management to education with a passion to coach and teach.
“I knew that WSN has a reputation of being a good school and I knew that I could contribute to that goodness,” Saxon said in an interview after being hired at W.S. Neal. “My expectations for the WSN Lady Blue Eagles is to have them excel and perform to their very best in every athletic contest and at the same time lead and guide them to do the same in academics.”
Saxon played college football, baseball, golf and semi-pro football.
He played for Ralph ‘Shug’ Jordan at the Auburn University in 1970.
He has held a head football coaching position, assistant football coach at nine high schools and two major universities, three of which competed for Class A and 2A state titles.
Saxon has also written and published a book on “How to Get an Athletic Scholarship” also was nominated for Coach of the Year in the 2007-08 season.
Saxon is currently serving as W.S. Neal’s golf coach this spring and said he will continue to serve in that job, but is uncertain at the time if he will stay at W.S. Neal after this season.