With Vestavia Hills’ Buddy Anderson hanging-up his whistle at the end of the 2020 season, UMS-Wright’s Terry Curtis becomes the state’s winningest active head football coach. Curtis enters the 2021 season 21 wins behind Anderson’s all-time record of 346 victories.
Anderson wasn’t the only big winner to head into retirement at the end of 2020. Jamie Riggs stepped-down from Houston Academy with 316 lifetime wins, which puts him No. 4 on the all-time list, tied with Paul Benefield at Fyffe.
Coming into this season, Steve Smith of Piedmont is the closest active coach to 300 wins. He owns a lifetime record of 258-76.
Below are the Top 10 winners, according to the Alabama High School Football Historical Society.
Alabama High School Football Coaching Victories
No. 1 Buddy Anderson (1978-2020) — 346-160
No. 2 *Terry Curtis (UMS-Wright) — 325-90
No. 3 *Danny Horn (Central-Clay) — 323-90
No. 4 (tie) Jamie Riggins (1986-2020) — 316-101
No. 4 (tie) Waldon Tucker (Fayette County) — 316-139
No. 6 *Paul Benefield (Fyffe) — 312-53
No. 7 Glenn Daniel (1947-1992) — 302-169
No. 8 Robby James (1980-2014) — 298-116
No. 9 Wayne Trawick (1960-1999) — 285-139
No. 10 Spence McCracken (1980-2007) — 279-82
