By Marla Jones
Sports Editor
marla@southerntorch.com
FORT PAYNE, Ala.--Coach Robi Coker announced his resignation as the Class 3A Plainview Head Basketball Coach on Friday, March 31.
At Monday’s meeting of the Fort Payne City Board of Education, Coker was announced as the new coach for the Class 6A Fort Payne Wildcats.
“It’s a unique opportunity that we felt was best for our family,” Coker said. “Fort Payne is the largest school system in DeKalb County. We felt like it provided some unique opportunities for our three children. We have a niece and nephew already there. My sister-in-law works there. It all lined up for us to do what is best for our family.”
The Fort Payne Wildcats went 10-19 last season. Fort Payne went to the Alabama High School Athletic Association (AHSAA) final four in 2000. They have not been to AHSAA Northeast Regionals since 2017.
“It’s a great opportunity for growth,” Coker said. “It’s going to take an all-hands-on-deck mentality. This is the first time I will have worked in a city system. I think we have great resources. There is a commitment from Fort Payne Superintendent Brian Jett and the board to make basketball exciting there.”
“Change brings a lot of excitement,” he said. “Building is fun. (Former Texas football coach) Darrell Royal said, ‘Building is fun. Maintaining is (tough).’ There is a lot of truth in that. I think as men we need new challenges, and I look forward to attacking this challenge daily.”
In the ten years that Coker spent at Plainview, he won 274 games and four Class 3A State Championships, in 2018, 2019, 2022, and 2023.
“I was extremely lucky honestly,” Coker said. “I inherited a great situation at Plainview. We had a great group of juniors coming back that first year and we had a phenomenal peewee and junior high program. I had back-to-back classes of seventh and eighth graders that were loaded with good players. They bought into the plan and worked their guts off. I’m forever indebted to them.”
“It would be a disservice if I didn’t mention and thank those young men who were able to accomplish so much. They made me a better coach and man. For that, I am forever indebted. Those guys continue to be a blessing to me” stated Coker.
The text message and phone calls I received when this news got out were incredible. They will always be a member of our family” concluded Coker.
Coker started his job as Fort Payne’s Head Basketball Coach and met with his players on Tuesday.
