After an almost three-month search, Pinson Valley has a new head football coach. The Jefferson County Board of Education approved the hiring of James Thompson at its meeting on Thursday.

Thompson is the fifth head football coach for the Indians in the past six years, replacing Gentrell Eatman, who was relieved of his duties in late November. Eatman had replaced Lee Guess, who also served for one season, after replacing Sam Shade. Shade coached at Pinson for two seasons, winning a state title in his first in 2020. Before Shade’s tenure, Patrick Nix led the Indians to back-to-back state championships in 2017-18 and left for Central-Phenix City after the 2019 season.

“Pinson is an awesome place with a great tradition,” said Thompson, who comes to the job after two years at Tuskegee University, where he was the running backs coach last season. “It has a rich history of recent success.”

Thompson worked in quality control in first year at Tuskegee after spending a year at Alabama State, his alma mater, as running backs coach. He has a 50-23 record as a high school coach. Thompson was head coach at Pickens County from 2015-17, leading the Tornadoes to runner-up finishes in Class 1A his last two years. From there, he compiled a 19-12 record as head coach at Carver-Montgomery.

“I love coaching high school ball,” Thompson said during a break from an NCAA and NFL Coaches Academy in Charlotte. “Sometimes if the right opportunity presents itself, you have to seriously take a look at it.

“I see myself as a players’ coach. I bring a lot of experience and I’m able to bring a different dynamic, having been in college football for the past four years. I can bring that aspect back to high school.”

Pinson Valley principal Michael Turner said the position attracted a lot of attention.

“It’s been a very long and extensive search and vetting process,” he said. “I talked to several coaches from all over the United States, believe it or not.

“I got coach Thompson’s name from Brandon Dean at the Alabama High School Athletic Association when we were at a wrestling event at the (Birmingham) CrossPlex. I reached out and we had a great conversation.

“I saw that coach had been very successful at the small school level and at Carver-Montgomery. I learned his work at Alabama State and at Tuskegee has been exemplary, when I talked to his head coach and athletic director.

“I feel like his skill set will lend itself to our football team,” Turner said, “our school and our community.

“We want to be able to return Pinson Valley football to the standard that has been set by the coaches who have coached and players who have played and have had a great deal of success. It’s going to be a process and he’s committed to being at Pinson Valley for the long term in order to see this thing through for us.”

Thompson, who turns 40 in July, started his coaching career at Hillcrest-Evergreen after graduating in 2006 from Alabama State – where he played running back and was twice honored for his academic prowess. He coached linebackers before taking over as defensive coordinator and athletic director. Thompson then served as an assistant at Carver-Montgomery before taking the head coaching job at Pickens County.

Thompson and his wife, Jessica, have two sons – Jameson, 8, and Jacob, 4.

“I think I have a calling of being able to reach kids and relate to players,” the coach said. “I have been able to relate to players everywhere I’ve been. I see no difference in being at Pinson. Mr. Turner has been very honest and straightforward with me. I think he’s a stand-up guy. You know genuine people when you talk to them and that’s the feeling I get talking with him.”

Thompson said the recent instability at Pinson Valley doesn’t concern him.

“None of that really matters to me,” he said. “When you go into a place where there might have been an issue with coaches or players, none of that matters. I just bring a different approach, different standard and a different environment there.”