However in 2014, it also meant the end of the tenure of some of the area’s highest profile coaches.
The wave began with the announcement that Doug Goodwin had been dismissed as the head football coach of the Homewood Patriots after only three seasons. This firing was puzzling because Goodwin had posted a 23-10 record with the Patriots, won two region titles and had effectively returned Homewood to its longtime spot as one of the elite programs in Class 5A.
No real reason was given by the Patriot brass as to why Goodwin was released, and the coach himself seemed to be surprised by the action as well. The phrase “he wasn’t a good fit” was the most common cliché used by people close to the Homewood program when offering an explanation, although the meaning of that comment brings more questions than answers.
The story will have a happy ending. Goodwin has already landed on his feet, taking an administrative position with the athletic program at Auburn University. And Homewood certainly won’t have any trouble finding another quality football coach. But if I was interviewing for the Homewood job, I’d want to know exactly what was expected from me up front, both in the win column and off the field.
Another head-turning coaching change was the unexpected resignation of Larry Harbin as the head boys’ basketball coach at John Carroll Catholic. Harbin probably has the longest tenure of any basketball coach in Jefferson County–if not all of Alabama–with a distinguished career at multiple schools that began with the 1973-74 season. His stops included Berry and McAdory, and he coached the John Carroll girls’ team before taking over the boys’ program five years ago.
In his years at Berry, Harbin was a close friend and protégé of the late Bob Finley and closely resembled his former boss in his approach to high school athletics. Harbin wasn’t interested in self-promotion; his primary interest was in developing the young people under his leadership into better citizens through participation in sports.
“The main thing is that I just love working with the kids,” Harbin said when contacted last week. “That’s the part I will miss more than anything. For 40 years, this has been my life. I’m not really interested in doing anything else.”
Harbin didn’t rule out a return to coaching, if the “right opportunity” arose.
Just as is the case with Homewood and Goodwin, this story will have a happy ending. John Carroll will hire a quality coach, and Harbin will find another coaching job if he wants one. But somehow the Cavalier program won’t be quite the same without his influence and legacy.