By Shannon J. Allen/Sand Mountain Reporter
A familiar face is returning to the coaching scene in the Sand Mountain and Etowah County areas.
Scott Sandlin, a one-time head coach of the women’s basketball program at Snead State in Boaz, is the new varsity girls basketball coach and varsity girls volleyball coach at Sardis High School. The Etowah County Board of Education approved Sandlin’s hiring at its Tuesday night meeting.
Sandlin’s prep head-coaching stops include Susan Moore and Southside. He was also an assistant coach at Snead for a brief period.
“Coach Sandlin coached one year as head coach at Snead, and after that he got out of coaching and started his own business,” said Sardis Principal Gerald Beard. “He went into real estate in Gulf Shores, and he’s spent the last five or six years there.
“But he loves working with kids, coaching sports and teaching. Coaching and teaching stays with you, and he realized that and wanted to get back into it.”
Beard sees it as a great opportunity for both the school and Sandlin. The veteran Sardis principal is pleased to have a coach of Sandlin’s caliber on his faculty.
“I’m excited,” Beard said. “His record speaks for itself.
“One of his teams at Susan Moore went 25-1 and was ranked first in the state for seven or eight weeks. He’s been successful at Susan Moore and Southside both, and I think he’ll do a great job.”
Sandlin met with the basketball and volleyball players at Sardis on Wednesday. Beard said his new coach scheduled spring tryouts Thursday and Friday.
“The kids are all excited, and I think he’s going to be a good fit,” Beard said.
Matt Lofthus coached the varsity girls basketball team while Natalie Strickland coached the varsity girls volleyball team in 2011-12.
Both resigned their coaching positions but remain as faculty members at Sardis.
Lofthus also coaches junior varsity softball and assists with the varsity.
Originally published on www.sandmountainreporter.com on Friday, May 18.