On the working day that he was named the new head football mentor, Lee Guess could only chuckle when reminded that the previous two bosses at Pinson Valley gained point out championships in their to start with 12 months.
The Jefferson County Board of Education authorized Guess’ selecting at its meeting on Thursday. Guess had been the interim head mentor after Sam Shade took the occupation as head coach at Miles Faculty on Jan. 26. Guess experienced been Pinson’s offensive coordinator very last period and was broad receivers coach for 5 yrs just before that.
“They all experienced the a single thing that embodies a fantastic head mentor,” Guess stated of Shade and Patrick Nix, who coached the Indians to point out titles. “They had the wish to battle and acquire, to find means to gain. Every person has a distinct spin and distinctive personalities and their ideas on what to do with a application.
“You get distinct items and see the choices they produced and, of program, they are not generally 100 per cent ideal, but you choose their course of action of how they needed to realize each 7 days and get people plans throughout to the children. These have been points that trapped with me and the things I took and processed to make me who I already am. I just want to continue on.”
Guess, who turns 38 upcoming week, begun at Pinson Valley underneath Matt Glover, now the head coach at Etowah. Glover and Shade had been defensive-minded coaches although Nix, the former Auburn quarterback, of course experienced an offensive slant to his philosophy.
Lee Guess is the new Pinson Valley football coach. (Contributed)
This year’s seniors will have had 3 head coaches in their careers at Pinson Valley. The Indians have had just 10 coaches in the 52 several years the application has been in existence.
Guess was a record-location receiver at Hewitt-Trussville who played at Auburn with his higher-faculty quarterback Brandon Cox.
“Honestly, I felt like Lee has compensated his dues and labored exceptionally really hard and warrants this chance to direct us by our up coming chapter at Pinson Valley Superior College,” principal Michael Turner stated. “I felt like he will provide us some stability. They essential a person they can trust, somebody they will function tricky for.
“Ever considering that I named him interim coach, we have not missed a beat.”
Guess claimed he has been answering a good deal much more cell phone phone calls as interim head coach, but his target has been on off-period exercise routines for the squad.
“My position is to be an advocate for the players,” he stated. “I want to get every person associated so we will be in a position to have a effective system. No matter whether it is a coach, a recreation-filmer, the scholar physique supporting the team, I want every person to truly feel represented in the proper way. Friday evenings go a extensive way to a lot of individuals. I will just take what I know that has meant a whole lot of the group throughout the a long time and continue to embody that.”
Guess reported he reviewed the possibility of pursuing the position with his wife, Brittney, and talked about it with his 4 young children – ages 11, 9, 6 and 3.
“I had to demonstrate to my kids why Daddy is back at the football discipline dwelling with the football players when they stated, ‘I believed the year was about.’ I was questioned to soar in to make absolutely sure it was as smooth transition to whoever they were being going to employ.
“I took that as respect for me, when mentor Shade experienced a prospect to do anything he’s often needed to do and that was to be a head coach in faculty,” Guess claimed. “We experienced to obtain a way to keep on to established the course for this system and a action has not been missed. Our kids experienced to realize that we’re not halting. If we want to have a prospect at a effective time in the foreseeable future, we have to preserve coming jointly as a new workforce with a new identification.
“We’re prepared to cope with any adversity they may possibly have to face. That’s what sporting activities boils down to.”
Pinson Valley finished 9-4 previous year, falling in the third round of the Class 6A playoffs to Mountain Brook. Shade was 21-6 (.778) in two a long time with a point out title in 2020 and Nix was 38-4 (.904) in the a few seasons just before with back again-to-back again point out championships in 2017 and 2018.