Pictured is new Coosa Christian girls basketball coach Daryl Douthard (center) coaching the Snead State women’s basketball team this past season. (Submitted photo)
By Chris McCarthy, Publisher/Editor
Daryl Douthard’s commute to his coaching job just got a lot shorter.
The Gadsden native and Snead State women’s assistant basketball coach recently was hired as girls varsity basketball coach at Coosa Christian.
“I knew a couple of assistant coaches at the school, and they reached out to me about the position,” said Douthard, who confirmed that he will remain as P.E. teacher at Emma Sansom Middle School and women’s basketball recruiting coordinator at Snead State. “I like the vision that Coosa Christian has right now with moving forward, and I like the things that are being put into place. It’s going to be all about winning.”
Douthard, who met with his players last week, noted that about 30 girls have signed up.
“One of the best things about coaching middle school and high school is that you get to be flexible, because you never know what you’re going to get from year to year,” he said.
Douthard informed his players during the meeting that he’ll place a premium on peak physical condition.
“There are a lot of coaches out there right now who don’t do a lot of conditioning. I don’t care at what level you’re playing on, you have to be in good shape. It pays off when you get to the fourth quarter. We’re going to do a lot of work on skills and fundamentals, but we’re going to make sure that we’ll have the stamina it takes to finish off games.”
Douthard appreciated the opportunity given to him by Stacy Jones, who was hired as Coosa Christian Athletic Director in mid-June.
“I wound up talking to several people about the girls’ position, and one name that kept popping up was Daryl’s,” said Jones. “We wanted Godly Christian people to lead our sports programs, and Daryl and [new Coosa boys coach] Eddy Norris are two quality individuals that are very high up there in terms of basketball coaching skill, more than anyone else I would have thought of coming here to a small Class 1A school.
“We’re not there yet in basketball, but it’s coming. The athletic ability is there, but I think it a case of changing the kids’ mindset when you build them up and give them the right tools to succeed. The kids are going to attempt the shots, but the coach is going to put them in the best scenario where they have the chance to make those shots.”
A 1989 graduate of Gadsden High, Douthard played basketball for the Tigers under Gary Muskett. During Dou-thard’s four years on the varsity, Gadsden went 72-28, won three area titles and twice made the Elite Eight. He was named to the Class 5A All-State first team his senior year.
“Coach Muskett was a really flexible coach and not at all stuck in his ways,” said Douthard. “If you had a good basketball IQ, he’d actually listen to you. That’s one of the biggest things I learned from him.”
Douthard played college basketball at Hill Junior College in Hillsboro, Texas, before transferring to St. Mary’s University in San Antonio, where he earned an A.B.S. in Exercise and Sports Science in 1994.
Douthard also holds a B.A. in Liberal Studies from Jacksonville State University and is currently working toward a master’s degree in Educational Leadership from the University of Alabama.
Douthard taught and coached for a year at Talladega County Central before arriving at Emma Sansom Middle, where he previously was the school’s head football coach, head girls basketball coach and assistant track coach.
“A lot of the (Coosa) girls from last season were discouraged, and some didn’t even want to play this year,” said Douthard. “We talked about the need play at a high level but more than anything, having fun doing that.”