This is an opinion piece.

If Thursday’s news conference was any indication, the Alabama High School Athletic Association is in good hands with Heath Harmon.

The current Oxford High principal was introduced as the sixth full-time executive director in Alabama High School Athletic Association history.

With the three living former directors and a room full of media members in attendance, the 49-year-old Harmon seemed smooth and unfazed in his first public address.

He fielded questions on high school NIL, rampant transfers, his credentials for the job and much more and did it flawlessly. He didn’t make any landmark statements, but he shouldn’t have – at least not yet. He’s not even officially on the job yet. That will happen at some point in July.

Yes, I know. People will say, “Talk is cheap.”

“Let’s see what he does when he gets to Montgomery.”

Agreed. But so far, so good.

Harmon came to Montgomery on Thursday morning to interview with the full Central Board. He interviewed last week with the search committee. He was one of two finalists who interviewed in Montgomery on Thursday.

That makes what he did at the press conference even more impressive. He didn’t know for sure he would even get the job when the day started but, when he did, he was ready for each question lobbed his way.

He stressed integrity and a desire to have a bigger impact on the student-athletes in Alabama. He acknowledged the decisions of the job wouldn’t be easy but said he has to — and will — uphold the rules. “You can’t get tired of doing the right thing.” He said he needed to evaluate the current reality of the entire organization before making any quick decisions. Harmon said he believes he will be effective and has “a lot of gas left in the tank.”

His three predecessors – Dan Washburn, Steve Savarese and Alvin Briggs – all said they were impressed by his opening press conference and would all be ready to help in any way they could. They acknowledged the job wasn’t easy but also said it can be extremely rewarding.

“Mr. Harmon used the word impact, and I think that is what the job is all about,” Savarese said. “It’s about having an impact on children. That is why we do this job. Even though there are tough challenges along the way, it’s very rewarding. The benefit is the opportunities this job provides our student-athletes.”

Washburn said the job was a constant battle to do what is right.

“(Former executive director) Bubba Scott told me one time that you sleep every night well if you do what is right,” he said. “That covers a lot of territory. All the flamboyant things – the playoffs, the Super 7, the final four – everything is great, and it gives you great exposure and gives the Association and the schools great exposure. The real job is enforcing and standing by the bylaws as they are written by the schools. That’s the big job – to do that and do it consistently.”

Briggs is scheduled to officially retire Sept. 2. He said he will be happy to lend guidance as needed.

“It’s a challenging job, but it’s a good job,” Briggs said. “You have an opportunity to make a difference for student-athletes around this state, and that’s critical today.”

There are plenty of questions for Harmon to address down the road, and there will be time for that.

But on Thursday, there was a positive vibe in the room, and that is something to be encouraged by moving forward.

More on NIL

Steve Savarese continues to be an outspoken opponent of NIL on the high school level. Florida became the 36th state to pass some form of high school NIL bylaw this week, and Harmon was asked about the subject multiple times Thursday.

Savarese said the unintended consequences of NIL are “egregious,” and he continues to hope Alabama holds true to its current amateur rules for as long as possible.

“I hope Alabama is 50th in the nation when it comes to that,” he said.

Thought for the Week

“Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.” – Philippians 2:3-4

Ben Thomas is the high school sportswriter at AL.com. He has been named one of the 50 legends of the Alabama Sports Writers Association. Follow him on twitter at @BenThomasPreps or email him at [email protected]. He can be heard weekly on “Inside High School Sports” on SportsTalk 99.5 FM in Mobile or on the free IHeart Radio App at 2 p.m. Wednesdays.