Cottage Hill head of school Chris Brazell wanted to find a proven winner to be his school’s next head football coach.

Bingo!

The Warriors will officially introduce six-time state champion Stacy Luker as their new coach at a press conference Friday morning. Luker is meeting with the team and the faculty this afternoon.

He replaces veteran Bobby Parrish, who stepped down after two seasons earlier this month.

“When we looked to fill the void, we prayed for wisdom, guidance and discernment and wanted the Lord to provide someone to teach life lessons that would carry beyond the balls of our school and someone who knew the game and was a proven winner,” Brazell told AL.com. “No one can match his resume. We are excited to welcome coach Luker into the Cottage Hill family and get going.”

Luker spent the last six years as head coach at Clarke County, winning the 2021 Class 2A state title. He stepped down from that position in January. At that time, he told AL.com he would like to coach again. He just wasn’t sure when or where that time would come.

“I was prepared to give it up,” Luker, 58, said. “But I did sort of feel like the right opportunity was going to come along and pique my interest and this one certainly did that. It’s a great situation. Donna and I are excited to be a part of it. There is a lot of potential at Cottage Hill.”

Ironically, this wasn’t the first time Brazell reached out to Luker about the job. In 2014, when Brazell was athletic director at Cottage Hill, he called Luker about the football position.

“Our relationship began when I was coaching baseball and Stacy had sons on the Sweet Water team,” Brazell said. “A few years later, I reached out to him about our vacancy after he had stepped down as football coach at Sweet Water, but unfortunately for us he had just accepted the job at Neshoba Central (Miss.). We’ve stayed in touch since then.”

Luker has been head coach at six previous schools, but he built his championship reputation at Sweet Water. He spent 12 years as the Bulldogs head coach, winning state titles in 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2010. Along with Sweet Water, Clarke County and Neshoba Central, his other head coaching stops were at Washington County (1995-1996), Thomasville (1997-2001) and Demopolis (2015-2016).

“I’ve spent most of my coaching life along Highway 43,” Luker said. “Now to go into Mobile, which is a hotbed for talent and great high school football, is exciting. It’s going to be a challenge, but I wanted to give it a shot before my career winds down.”

Luker takes over a Cottage Hill team that went 5-5 in 2022 but missed the 3A playoffs for the third straight season. However, Brazell – who spent three years as head coach – and Parrish combined to win 31 games in the last five years. In the previous six years, the team won just 15.

“There is not a lot that is broke,” Luker said. “Coach Parrish did a great job and coach Brazell before him of changing the culture and winning games. I want to build on that and put my stamp on it. We want to get to where we are playing in November consistently and winning games in November.”

Luker knows a lot about playing in November and winning in November. In 28 years as a head coach, his playoff record is 53-17. His teams have missed the postseason just five times.

The 2022 Alabama High School Hall of Fame inductee has a 238-107 overall record.

“It’s not every day that you have an opportunity to hire a guy to lead your program that has the accolades coach Luker has,” Brazell said. “You could talk all day about his accomplishments, but the most important thing to me was the way he influences student-athletes in such a positive way.

“His resume and his ideals completely align with our school motto of faith, family and future. Family is clearly important to him, and he also wants to be significant in the lives of his players and cares about their lives after high school.”