By By BRUCE HIXON Sports Editor
As Blaine Hathcock conducted his own personal search into a head football coaching position, he wanted a school that could consistently be a successful one.
Hathcock thinks he has found that school in W.S. Neal.
After 11 years as an assistant coach with Hamilton, Beulah, Handley and most recently Pell City High School where he served as offensive coordinator and assistant principal, Hathcock feels now is the time for him to take the step from assistant to head coach.
W.S. Neal is slated to begin its spring practice next Tuesday. It will conclude May 17 with a spring game at home against Hillcrest at 7 p.m. Hathcock admits he has very little time to get ready for his spring work.
As is the case with any coach, Hathcock knows he has to play with the cards he is dealt. He does have certain schemes he wants to install.
The new W.S. Neal skipper said while there are adjustments coming from a Class 6A program in Pell City to a 3A
program in W.S. Neal, the fundamentals are still the same at any school.
Hathcock admits he is coming to a Blue Eagle program, which went 4-6 last season and missed the playoffs under preceding head coach Shane Smothers, that competes in a difficult Class 3A Region 1.
Regardless of how well W.S. Neal teams have performed, its measuring stick usually resides on the other side of Murder Creek at T.R. Miller.
Hathcock, who has previously been a head coach in softball, basketball and golf, has also been hired to be athletic director at W.S. Neal.