By DON FLETCHER
News Staff Writer
W.S. Neal High School head football coach and athletic director Hugh Fountain passed away Monday, March 24, at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas, after a brief illness.
Fountain, who coached high school football in Alabama public and independent schools for nearly 40 years, starred on the gridiron at W.S. Neal, then lettered as an offensive lineman at Troy State University (now Troy University). Fountain-led teams posted a 271-150 record over his 37-year coaching career.
After a year at Evergreen High School, Fountain took the helm at W.S. Neal High in 1989 and led the team to a 50-28 record and six playoff appearances. During 16 years at the helm of the football program at Charles Henderson High School in Troy, his teams went 106-67 and earned postseason slots 10 times.
Fountain returned to his alma mater in 2022 and immediately turned a struggling Eagles program around, taking the team to the playoffs each of the past three years.
“Hugh Fountain was a great father, husband and coach,” recalled Ronnie Cottrell, who was W.S. Neal’s head coach in 1988, during an interview with AL.com. “He represented the very best in our business. I cannot believe that he is gone.
“He had a life-changing influence on his teams and will be greatly missed. He was a blessing for so many others and especially me.”
The veteran coach earned legendary status at Escambia Academy (EA). Fountain replaced Heath Gibson in 2012, and the Cougars posted a 94-31 record during his 11 years at the local independent school. Under his guidance, the Cougars won AISA state titles in 2014 and 2017, and played in the AISA state championship game each of his last six years at EA.
EA Athletic Director Chris Kirk remembered Fountain as a close friend who made a positive impression from the start of his tenure at EA, where he also served more than four years as headmaster.
“My heart was saddened to lose such a great friend this week,” Kirk posted on his Facebook page. “Coach was, from the start, a larger-than-life presence for me, my family, and EA. When I first spoke to him about considering the job as our coach, there was something about him that drew me in. I couldn’t quite put my finger on it, but it was there.
“His 10 years at EA ushered in a new pride for the Cougars that we are still feeling today. He also brought people into my family’s lives that have touched us forever. His work ethic, big heart, patience, and smile will always be engrained in my, Susan’s, and Garrett’s memories.
“I’ll miss calling him just to check in, ask a question about the school, or just talk about the family. Oh, yeah, football too.”
News photo by Ditto Gorme