HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — It was just about a year ago that we aired what we thought was our good bye story to long-time high school football head coach Jere Adcock.
But on Tuesday, we had a plot twist. The former Decatur High head man is back and will be leading another program in the fall.
"I kept finding myself watching film all the time, looking at everything that was going on at ballgames," says Jere Adcock. "I wasn't out there with any feelers. I wasn't out there asking questions. The situation presented itself."
He is back. After one season away from the sidelines, Jere Adcock is un-retiring to take over the Whitesburg Christian football program.
From 1996 to 2022, Adcock was the head coach at Decatur High School where he followed the footsteps of multiple hall of fame coaches. He won 187 games and seven region titles.
"You had a duty and obligation to go do what had been done before, try to do it a little bit better," said Adcock. "Well, here, you know, you walk in the situation where, you know, it's new. We're moving into 3A. They've got plans for building facilities around here. And so it's just interesting to get into something that maybe I could put a stamp on it."
With the AHSAA's 2024 re-classification, Adcock's Whitesburg Warriors will be placed in 3A Region 8. That region includes Fyffe, who has won 7 state titles in 10 years. Plus Geraldine and Sylvania; a pair of teams who have each made a trip to the state semifinals over the last two seasons.
"Being able to compete against those guys, I mean, that's going to be a real challenge and it's going to be fun," says Adcock"
Adcock says that he talked with his wife and kids, who are all grown at this point about the decision to return and said they encouraged him to do so.
Now with this decsion, an unexpected opportunity opens up for Adcocks youngest grankids; the chance to actually create memories of their grandfather in action.
"Gosh, I mean, I think I got eight under the age of six and at least they're going, they're going to get to see see me," says Adock. "You know, they call me Gdaddy and big coach. So at least they get to see big coach doing something that everybody thought he did all the time. And they don't have a clue yet. They just think it's a place to crawl around and run around after the ballgame."