PHOTO: Chad Gorham, Director of Extended Day/Distance Education Program; Heather Rice, Director of Development; Dr. David Campbell, President of NACC; and Darrell Kirk, Golf Coach. (NACC Contributed Photo)
By Staff Reports
RAINSVILLE, Ala. — Northeast Alabama Community College (NACC) is starting a golf program and will begin competition in the Fall of 2017. Teams are planned for both men and women golfers and Mr. Darrell Kirk has been chosen as coach. Kirk is an experienced golfer and in fact started the golf program at North Sand Mountain High School.
“We are excited about starting this program,” stated NACC President Dr. David Campbell. “Mr. Kirk is a retired coach and principal, and will be great in working with and supervising our students.”
The college will offer golf scholarships to both men and women, and will compete in the Alabama Community College System Conference. The golf program already has been approved for membership by the National Junior College Athletic Association. Further details on tryouts for the team will be announced.
Northeast has been deeded an outstanding and popular golf course in the area – Dogwood Hills Golf Resort and Gardens (Web home page -- dogwoodhillsgolfresortandgardens.com). The course is owned, operated, and managed by Mrs. Doris Slater, who along with her late husband Bryce, founded the Dogwood Hills located near Flat Rock. “Of course, Dogwood Hills will be our home course,” Campbell stated. “But we have other excellent courses in our area, and we want our teams to be able to play at these courses as well.”
Chad Gorham, an Administrator at Northeast, has helped put the golf program together and is working with Kirk. “We are pleased to be able to add this program to the many events and activities we have for our students at Northeast,” said Gorham. “Not only are we excited here at NACC to be able to start golf, but both college and system administrators throughout the state are excited as well. NACC is an outstanding institution that is very special to many in Jackson and DeKalb Counties and the support we have been shown so far proves just that!”
Kirk stated, “I am very excited and appreciative to Dr. Campbell and Mr. Gorham for this opportunity.”
Kirk was the golf coach at North Sand Mountain High School for seven years. He was also the head football coach and girl’s head basketball coach at North Sand Mountain High School for twelve years. He was principal at Bryant Junior High school for nine years and principal at Bridgeport Middle School for six years. Kirk has B.S. and M.S. degrees in Health and Physical Education, as well and an Ed.S. in Administration and Supervision, all from Jacksonville State University.
Kirk lives in Bryant, Alabama. He was a student at Northeast from 1978-1980. He is married to Donna Arnold Kirk, who is a retired educator. She currently works part-time at Northeast as a professional tutor and retention specialist in the Center for College Success. They have one son, Cody, who also attended Northeast on dual enrollment, and he and his wife, Brooke, have two sons.
For more information about the golf program, contact Gorham at 256-638-4418 or 256-228-6001, ext. 2294, or by email at chadgorham@nacc.edu.
