Smiths Station hires a new head football coach familiar to local high school programs
Smiths Station High School has a new head football coach.
During a called meeting Monday, the Lee County Board of Education approved the hiring of Justin Albert as a physical education teacher. And a little while later Monday, SSHS announced on its Facebook page that Albert will lead the Panthers’ football program.
Albert most recently was an assistant coach at Pell City, where he coached wide receivers and coordinated the passing game and recruiting.
His previous assistant coaching positions were at Russell County (2020-22, assistant head coach and co-offensive coordinator), Pinson Valley (2019-20, passing game and wide receivers) and Central-Phenix City (2014-19, wide receivers).
He was on the staff when Central and Pinson Valley won state championships. He also won two state titles as a player at Prattville, where former Central head coach Jamey DuBose led the program.
Albert replaces Bryant Garrison as SSHS head football coach. The Panthers went 1-19 in two seasons with Garrison. They haven’t had a winning record since 2018.
SSHS principal Adam Johnson told the Ledger-Enquirer why he chose Albert after a selection committee whittled more than 30 applicants to six candidates who were interviewed.
“He’s a winner,” Johnson said. “He’s energetic. He’s high energy, builds great relationships with people, with kids. He’s just outstanding.”
Albert, who was a walk-on running back at Auburn University for two years before transferring for a scholarship at Troy University, is scheduled to start his tenure at SSHS Feb. 3.
“I’m just super excited,” he told the Ledger-Enquirer. “I’m super stoked to be with the kids and the community of Smiths Station. I just can’t wait to get started and lay down the groundwork and foundation and get rolling.”
Why Justin Albert applied to be Smiths Station’s new head coach
Albert’s familiarity with Smiths Station attracted him to the job.
“Just knowing the community and being at prior places around the community, being at Central and being at Russell County, I know there’s really good football played in east Alabama, and my family loves the area, so it was a no-brainer for me,” he said.
Justin Albert’s goals for first season at Smiths Station
His goals for the Panthers in their first season together won’t necessarily be defined by the scoreboard.
“It’s basically to cultivate the community and the kids and get them engaged and have constant improvement,” he said. “… I want to instill discipline and commitment and teamwork and family and unity.”
Albert explained how he plans to achieve those goals.
“It’s just bringing everybody together and showing a positive attitude and showing up and being consistent,” he said. “It’s being consistent on what I do and being consistent on what the young men do. Bringing the energy and passion I have for the game and the love for the game, they’ll definitely see that throughout the community, and it’ll be driven through the boys’ minds and souls.”
What type of coach Smiths Station can expect from Justin Albert
Albert described the type of coach SSHS players and supporters can expect from him.
“You can expect passion, you can expect love, and you can expect unity,” he said.
Albert, 35, figures he is close enough in age to the players to better understand their generation than older coaches.
“I’ll bring the energy every single day,” he said. “… That’s gravitating to the young people. I’m genuinely here for the kids. It’s not just another job to get me from point A to point B. It’s my love for the kids and my love for this game.”
Albert showed such energy when he met the Panthers in the school gym — doing a back flip to wow the crowd.
“They definitely saw the excitement that I have,” he said, “and I think it’s going to be contagious.”
What Justin Albert learned from coaches Bill Clark, Jamey DuBose and Rush Propst
Having won state championships as a player and assistant coach, Albert is confident he can take lessons he learned from head coaches Bill Clark, Jamey DuBose and Rush Propst to develop Smiths Station into a title contender.
“It’s hard work and commitment,” he said, “and sometimes it’s long hours. You have to do what you have to do to win, and you’ve got to make sure the kids see the point days before and understand that. There’s a process to all of it, and if you buy into that process, you’ll get the results.”
It’s too early to be specific about the schemes his offense and defense will run, Albert said, but he gave a few hints.
“Defense is going to swarm to the football with resilient effort,” he said. “They’re going to be around the ball all the time to be able to make plays and create turnovers. … I think our offense is going to be pretty dynamic and do a couple of different things.”
This story was originally published January 27, 2025 at 7:24 PM.
