Greg Patterson Steps Down After Seven Seasons as Hueytown Head Football Coach

HUEYTOWN, AL — After seven successful seasons at the helm of Hueytown High School’s football program, Greg Patterson has announced his resignation as head coach. The veteran coach, who has been a fixture in Alabama high school football for over a decade, shared the news on social media earlier this week, citing a desire for change and reflection on the evolving landscape of high school athletics.

“It’s just time,” Patterson said. “There’s no one, two, or three reasons, and I don’t have anything else lined up. I could still be teaching here next year, I could be at another school, or I could be putting up chain-link fences for all I know at this point. It’s just time for me not to be here.”

Patterson’s coaching career spans 11 years, including four seasons at Sumiton Christian and seven at Hueytown. His overall record stands at 75-54, with the majority of his success coming during his tenure with the Golden Gophers. At Hueytown, Patterson compiled an impressive 61-28 record, leading the Gophers to the playoffs in all seven seasons and securing a Class 6A state championship game appearance in 2021. That season, Hueytown finished 13-2, with both losses coming against powerhouse Clay-Chalkville, including a narrow 46-42 defeat in the title game.

Under Patterson’s leadership, Hueytown became a perennial contender in Class 6A, boasting a dominant 40-4 region record during his tenure. His ability to foster a winning culture and develop talent earned him the Alabama Football Coaches Association’s Class 6A Coach of the Year award in 2021.

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Before his time at Hueytown, Patterson began his head coaching career at Sumiton Christian, where he posted a 14-26 record over four seasons. After four seasons at the Walker County program he served as an assistant at Minor and Jasper before joining Scott Mansell’s staff at Hueytown in 2016.

Reflecting on his decision to step down, Patterson expressed concerns about the changing dynamics of high school sports, including the increasing prevalence of player transfers and a perceived decline in accountability. “The whole mentality, like our whole society, is that nobody has to do anything hard anymore,” he said. “It’s just kind of that whole mindset of being a community. Everybody likes to use the phrase, ‘It takes a village.’ Well, I just don’t think we have a village anymore.”

Patterson, who commuted daily from his home in Sumiton, also acknowledged the need for a coach more embedded in the Hueytown community. “I think there’s some criteria here that the next guy needs to meet that I’m not able to do,” he said. “I don’t live here in the community, and I just think there’s some things that the next person needs to do and be a part of to draw a little bit more of the community into it.”

Jefferson County Athletic Director Craig Kanaday praised Patterson’s contributions, stating, “We cannot thank him enough for all the good things he has done and for his commitment to our student-athletes. He has meant so much to the school, the community, and to JEFCOED. We wish him nothing but the best in whatever he chooses to do next.”

FEATURED IMAGE: Patterson during the Gophers 35-21 win over Gardendale in 2022. (Brant Berry | PrepsNet)