The Alabama 6A powerhouse is making another change at the top of the football program

Blount High School is in the market for its fourth head coach in four years.

A source close to the situation said AL.com this weekend the school was going in a new and different direction for head football coach of the year Josh Harris.

Blount was 3-7 in his only season at the helm of his alma mater. He received information about the change at the end of last week.

I was invited in. We met and I was told it was a difficult decision, but they were going in different directions, Harris told AL.com Monday morning. That’s all I was told. I asked why, but no reason was given. Mr. (Jerome) Woods (Blount principal) said, it is me and it is above me.

Harris was hired in December 2021 at age 34 to take over for Blount’s interim head coach Dedrick Sumpter. Sumpter stepped in when Lev Holly moved into the Mobile County Public Schools office. Harris said even though the program won just three games and didn’t make the playoffs, he was proud of what he and his staff accomplished in just 10 months.

I told Mr. Woods that I did everything right. I always believe in righteousness over harmony, he said. I left the program better than I found it. Next month we have seven or eight young men sign national letters of intent, we raised $40,000-$50,000 for equipment, and most importantly, 48 of our young men gave their lives to Christ. It was the biggest win ever. I can’t consider it a loss at all.

Harris spent four weeks on paid administrative leave after video surfaced showing him punching one of his players in the locker room. However, he returned to his job at the beginning of October and finished the season with his team.

I left it all up to God and it all worked out, Harris said. I thought everything was fine until I was called into the office last week.

Harris is a 2006 Blount graduate who played quarterback for legendary Leopards coach Ben Harris, who had no connection before playing college football at Tuskegee. The surgery ended any shot at Harris’ career in the pros, so he immediately began coaching quarterbacks in the Atlanta area.

When he and his wife returned to the Mobile area, Harris coached the quarterbacks at Blount for Holly in 2020 and spent the 2021 season leading Scarborough Middle School to an 8-0 record and a middle school championship.

After the beating, Blount players posted a video in support of Harris.

The Leopards reached the Class 6A quarterfinals in the Hollys’ last season in 2020, but have missed the playoffs each of the past two years. Blount has not missed the playoffs in three straight seasons since the mid-1980s (1983-1985).

“I’m going to continue to let God lead the way,” Harris said when asked about his future. I know He has something bigger for me for it to end like this and not be given a reason.

The move in Blount leaves four current head football positions open in Mobile and Baldwin County. Citronelle, McGill-Toolen and Bayside Academy are also looking for new coaches.

Additionally, Hall of Fame coach Stacy Luker resigned from Clarke County last week.