You knew win, lose or draw both teams would come out of it sore the next morning. You could always count on his teams to be physical and play extremely hard and you knew it would be a tough challenge. “Over the last three years, we had some tremendous battles. “He’s a guy who’s been in this business a long time and he’s got the connections and the experience to do a good job. “I know he was in a good situation, a good place at Theodore, and built a tremendous program,” Kelly said. Saraland coach Jeff Kelly - who split four games against Collier since 2020 in a budding rivalry - said he was surprised to learn of Collier’s departure. But the Bobcats gave the Spartans their only loss a month earlier, 27-26. In 2022, Collier coached Theodore to a school-record 13 wins and into the semifinals for the first time before losing to eventual Class 6A state champion Saraland 21-6. It’s some huge shoes to fill but we’re going to be all right. “We’re going to make sure it will stay the same,” Pruitt said. Their 33-5 record in the last three seasons is the best three-year span in school history. Theodore won three region championships in the last five seasons as Collier entrenched the Bobcats as one the state’s best programs. We’ve got to uphold that.”Ĭollier started his head coaching career with six straight losing seasons spread over four years at Alma Bryant and his first two at Theodore but hasn’t had one since and has taken the Bobcats to six straight playoff appearances. “He created a standard and the standard stays. “I told the guys he’s still gonna be out here on Friday nights and probably still be busting your butts on the sideline,” Stanley said. Theodore assistant coach Jeff Stanley said Collier’s stamp on the program will endure. “He taught me how to be a man, how to grind and work, to keep my grades straight, that attitude will take me a long way.” It’s a business decision and he’s got to take care of his family. It hurt me that he’s going to leave but I understand it. “I’ve been with coach Collier since I was like 6 or 7 years old,” Pruitt said. Highly recruited Bobcats linebacker and safety Bobby Pruitt, who has 27 Division I offers, somberly noted he will return for his senior year without Collier on the field for the first time in his life. But I know it is time to try something different.” The parents and the community trusted me with their kids for 15 years and that doesn’t happen a lot. They all bought into the things I wanted to do. “I was emotional and the players were too. “When you’re 54 years old, you’ve got to set up your wife and kids for the rest of their lives. “I went in there and told them, ‘I’ve got 28 years in and I’m at the point in my life where I want to do something different,’” Collier said. THEODORE - Theodore High School coach Eric Collier is leaving a football program he built into one of the state’s best but his shocked players and coaches vowed Thursday it will continue to thrive.Ĭollier, 54, is resigning to become the director of football development on University of South Alabama coach Kane Wommack’s staff, sources told the Call News.Ĭollier could not directly address his new job, leaving it to USA to announce officially, but he broke the news of his departure in a meeting with his players Thursday morning. It turned out to be the last game at Theodore for Collier, who is resigning to join Kane Wommack’s staff at South Alabama. Theodore coach Eric Collier, right, greets Saraland coach Jeff Kelly after the Spartans’ 21-6 win in the Class 6A semifinals last November.
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