Lawrence O’Neal could have never imagined being the head football coach at Tallassee High School.

His father, Hall of Famer Jackie O’Neal, spent 28 years as head coach at major Tallassee rival Reeltown.

“They reached out to me during the playoffs and let me know they were interested,” Lawrence O’Neal said. “I never, ever thought they would reach out to me because of my last name.”

They did and now the younger O’Neal is the head coach of the Tigers. He was officially approved for his new job Tuesday night. He is leaving BTW-Tuskegee after leading that team to the Class 4A state semifinals in 2023.

“It’s another challenge, another opportunity to step in and help try to rebuild a program,” he said. “It’s closer to home. It’s about seven minutes from my house. They have great resources, and they want to have a great program. The more I looked at it, the more it looked like the right fit.”

O’Neal replaces Mike Battles Jr., who spent 12 years as Tallassee’s head coach. He said his father had no issue with him coaching Reeltown’s longtime rival.

“A lot of people thought he might have something bad to say,” Lawrence O’Neal said. “But he knew what I was looking for in a program. When we discussed the opportunity, he said it was a no-brainer. He said, ‘They have everything you want.’ He never hated Tallassee. He just loved to win. That’s the nature of our family. We don’t hate any school. We just want to beat every school.”

O’Neal played safety and quarterback for his father at Reeltown and led the team to the 2001 state championship. That team defeated Tallassee 41-6 during a 14-1 season. After graduating, he played two years at Western Kentucky for Jack Harbaugh and one year for David Elson before joining the Navy.

He served for six years, got out on reserve duty and went to seminary school.

“I always tell people that coaching for me is strictly God’s providence,” O’Neal said. “I didn’t plan to coach. My plan was to go back into the service as a chaplain, but I started helping my father and coaching became my mission, though I still serve as a reserve chaplain in the Navy.”

O’Neal helped his father for three years at Reeltown and then coached three more years under current Rebels coach Matt Johnson. He spent two years working for Patrick Browning at Pike Road before getting his first head coaching job at BTW.

He went 19-17 in three years, making the playoffs twice. This year’s team won three straight playoff games – including upsets of Handley and Jackson at home – before losing to eventual champ Montgomery Catholic in the semifinals.

“It’s difficult to leave,” he said. “I developed a bond with these kids. To leave them was one of the hardest things I’ve had to do, but it was just the right time.”

O’Neal’s team defeated Tallassee 44-0 in the second week of the season. The Tigers finished just 1-9.

“I need to get in there and set the expectations high and let them know the standard, which is nothing short of the best,” he said. “I realize everyone’s best is not the same, but if we get everyone’s best effort and attitude, we will get the best results.

“I want everyone to be committed and show up to work every day because I will be there every day. If we put in work, we will get the results we are looking for and we will win in life. That is the goal.”