Hewitt-Trussville offensive coordinator Juan Johnson is set to become the new head football coach at Baker High School.

Hornets’ principal John Poiroux informed AL.com of the hire Thursday morning. Johnson must first be approved by the Mobile County Board of Education.

“He’s a dynamic personality,” Poiroux said. “He’s been in the Birmingham area playing against some of the best teams in the state. He brings a lot to the table, and we are excited to have him.”

Poiroux said he interviewed 19 different candidates but added that Johnson “separated himself from the start.” He replaces Steve Normand, who announced his retirement from the state of Alabama last month.

There is no exact timetable for Johnson to start, but Poiroux said he definitely wanted him in place before spring training “if not sooner.”

The Hornets went 29-24 in five years under Normand and made the Class 7A playoffs four times. However, Baker hasn’t won a playoff game since 1984.

The 2023 team, led by first-team All-State players Josh Flowers at quarterback and Bryce Cain at wide receiver, went 8-3 and lost to Auburn in the first round of the playoffs.

Johnson has worked on Josh Floyd’s staff at Hewitt-Trussville for eight years, the last four as offensive coordinator. Prior to that, he was on Hall of Fame coach Jamie Riggs’ staff at T.R. Miller.

“I think he’s going to do great,” Floyd said. “Juan has a great offensive mind. He demands excellence from his players every single day. He keeps those guys accountable. The kids love him because he pours into them. We hate to lose him. He’s been so good to us and so good to me. He’s had some opportunities in the past, had some head coaching offers, but he just felt like this was the right one. I love Juan, and I truly am fired up for him.”

Floyd said Johnson was a “winner.”

“Guys that have been around winning programs know what it takes,” he said.

Johnson also is an assistant coach for the Hewitt-Trussville girls basketball team.

Other coaching news:

Holcombe to T-County? Multiple media outlets are reporting that Tuscaloosa County is prepared to hire current Southside-Gadsden head coach Miles Holcomb as its next head coach. Tuscaloosa County has called a press conference for 6:30 Tuesday night to announce a new coach. Holcomb is 18-15 in three years at Southside. If hired, he will replace Adam Winegarden, who left Tuscaloosa County to take a job on the Troy University staff.

Mellown to Carroll: Carroll High in Ozark has hired Andalusia offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Matt Mellown as its next head coach. He replaces Patrick Plott, who took a job on Keith Etheredge’s staff at Auburn High. Mellown helped lead Andalusia to the Class 4A state title in 2022.

This post will be updated