Story By Jason Bowen
When then Northeast Alabama Community College men’s and women’s head golf coach Doug Haynes decided he was going to return to education as a part-time teacher and assistant football coach at Pisgah High School, he called NACC golf assistant coach Freddie Tidmore to give him the news.
Tidmore in turn gave Haynes the same news.
“They kind of came at us separately, so it was good surprise to know we’d still be coaching together,” Haynes said. “We both enjoyed coaching (at NACC), but we talked a lot of football when the kids were playing and we were waiting on (tournaments) to finish.”
Haynes will teach freshman English at PHS while Tidmore will teach career prep classes. Both are former Pisgah head coaches — Tidmore leading the Eagles from 1987-95 and Haynes during the 2015 season — and they have a combined 54 seasons coaching football.
Haynes spent the past two seasons as NACC’s head golf coach while Tidmore spent one season as the assistant.
“Coaching JUCO golf was never something I saw myself doing, but it was a lot of fun and I’m grateful for the chance to do it,” Haynes said. “The travel just got to be a lot. I was gone for 21 weeks from Sunday through Thursday with the JUCO schedule.”
Haynes taught and coached at Tallassee, North Jackson, Pisgah and Plainview before becoming assistant principal at Woodville, then principal at Rosalie before retiring from the Alabama Education System after three-plus years as principal at Section. This spring he began monitoring part-time teaching positions when the opportunity to return to Pisgah as a teacher and a football coach.
“It was a no-brainer,” Haynes said. “I’m excited to get back in the classroom. I enjoy teaching English. When I first got back on the (football) field, within the first five minutes, I knew it’s what I was supposed to be doing.”
Tidmore, a Pisgah alum, taught for 11 years at PHS before becoming serving as an assistant coach for 10 seasons and head coach for five seasons (2005-09) at Scottsboro. After retiring from the Alabama Education System, he taught and coached at nearby South Pittsburg (Tennessee) for 10 years before teaching and coaching two seasons at Chattooga (Georgia). He’s been away from coaching football for three years, and while he said he enjoyed his role with NACC golf, Tidmore said he felt the tug to return to teaching and coaching.
“I was retired, but I’m not a sit-around-the-house type. I’ve got to have something to do,” Tidmore said. “So I just got to thinking I should do something I know. It’s not that I didn’t enjoy it at NACC. It’s just this is more what I’m supposed to do.”
Tidmore said returning to teaching and coaching football coming at Pisgah is an added bonus.
“I went to school here and my first job was here, so for a really long time, all I knew was that Pisgah red,” he said. “I feel at home.”
