Saraland’s Jeff Kelly has been named the head coach of the Alabama team for 38th annual Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Game.

Kelly was the offensive coordinator of Alabama’s win last year at Southern Mississippi.

This year’s game will be played in December at South Alabama’s Hancock Whitney Stadium.

“Coach Kelly has proven to be one of the AHSAA’s finest head coaches,” said Brandon Dean, director of the Alabama High School Athletic Directors and Coaches Association. “And he has put together an outstanding all-star coaching staff as well that includes four coaches that won state titles last season, two coaches who played in the Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Game and one coach who has 351 career coaching wins to his credit.”

Kelly’s staff includes Fyffe High School coach Paul Benefield, who finished his 32nd season last by winning his seventh state title. He owns a 351-56 coaching record, which ranks third all-time in wins and first in winning percentage. He will serve as the All-Star coaching staff’s defensive line coach.

Also on the staff are McGill-Toolen head coach David Faulkner, who will serve as offensive coordinator, Montgomery Catholic head coach Kirk Johnson, who will serve as defensive coordinator; Leroy head coach Jason Massey, who will serve as linebackers coach; Hoover head coach Drew Gilmer, the defensive back coach; Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa head coach Jamie Mitchell, offensive line coach; Eufaula head coach Jerrel Jernigan, wide receivers coach; and Matt Dearmon, from Kelly’s Saraland staff, who will serve as the Alabama All-Star scout coach.

Kelly is 132-36 in 13 years as the Spartans’ head coach. He led the team to the state title in 2022 and to three runner-up appearances in 2014, 2018 and 2023.

“I played in the Alabama-Mississippi Game as a player, I coached last year as an assistant coach, and it is a very huge honor to be the head coach in this game,” Kelly said. “I am excited about our staff. We have some really outstanding coaches. Last year, I came straight to this game after the Super 7 finals. You have to be able to shift gears, but it doesn’t take you long when you see how important this game is to the players and coaches in this state. I am looking forward to the game already.”

The players will be selected for the 2024 Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Classic next fall.

Alabama’s All-Stars won 26-17 last December to up their lead in the series to 26 wins and 11 losses. The victory was the fourth in a row for Alabama’s All-Stars, coached by Enterprise’s Ben Blackmon.

The 2024 AHSAA North-South All-Star Football Classic coaches will be announced in by the first week of April, Dean said. That game will also be played Hancock Whitney Stadium next December.

This post will be updated