Ramsay football coach Ronnie Jackson was riding high after a two-year run when the Rams captured the 2022 Class 5A championship and won back to the final game in 2023 before falling to Gulf Shores.

The offseason dealt a staggering blow to the program when eight coaches left.

“Never in my life, never have I seen that before,” Jackson said of the turnover. “I was shocked because who leaves after we won it and then the next year we lost in the state championship.”

“But that’s one thing we do here at Ramsay. We learn how to adjust so I didn’t complain about it. I was happy for them and I just went to work.”

Jackson poured through lots of calls, resumes and interviews before hiring six new assistants, including former Alabama Crimson Tide running back Trent Richardson, who will handle running backs for the Rams.

“We somehow got connected through one of our players,” Jackson said of Richardson’s hire. “(The player’s) dad is really, really good friends with Trent and Trent was like it’s a good thing he was offered because he’s been getting offers for the last four or five years and the only reason he hasn’t been taking it is because his daughters were graduating and he wanted to be there for his kids.”

Other new coaches are Conley Langford (defensive coordinator), Anthony Conwell (offensive coordinator), Brandon Jackson (safeties), Derek Slater (linebackers) and Demetrius Beverly (receivers).

“We picked up a really good group,” Jackson said. “The defensive coordinator, he’s been at Miles for the last two years, the coordinator or D-line coach, and he’s been in Birmingham for a while so he is really good.”

Jackson has no animosity for the coaches who departed.

“They all had valid reasons and it’s not like I’m such a bad guy,” Jackson said, laughing. “They all like got upgrades, all did better for their families. Some of them wanted to go back to their old schools and opportunities came up.”

There was plenty of interest in the Ramsay positions.

“When I put it out there, everybody in America was trying to get in there,” Jackson said. “I had a lot of interviews. Oh, I’ve been very busy.”

This post will be updated.