Tuscaloosa County Football Coach Adam Winegarden Leaving For College Ranks

NORTHPORT, AL — Tuscaloosa County High head football coach Adam Winegarden is set to take a job with the Troy University football program, the coach confirmed to Patch on Thursday after telling his team.

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The move to join the staff of first-year Troy head coach Gerad Parker as director of leadership and high school relations comes after Winegarden's three seasons in Northport, where he posted an overall record of 12-18, with no playoff appearances.

“I want to thank our [Tuscaloosa County School System] superintendent Dr. Keri Johnson and our principal Mr. Darrell Williams for giving me the opportunity to work at Tuscaloosa County High School," Winegarden said in a statement on Thursday. "This has been a community effort to improve and develop this program. We have great teachers, kids, parents, and community members that are making this place better every day."

Winegarden went on to express his gratitude to the people of Northport and for the relationships built during his time leading the Wildcats.

"This program is on an upward trajectory and has many things in place to ensure future success," he said. "This has been a lifelong goal to work at the collegiate level, and am grateful for the opportunity at Troy University. I look forward to watching Tuscaloosa County continue to grow, but also the opportunity to serve Coach Parker and Troy Football.”

Winegarden has found plenty of success in his time roaming the sidelines, though, and boasts a career mark of 131-55, with stops at TCHS, Auburn, Hillcrest, Fairhope and Dalton (Ga.). He also has a career playoff record of 14-12.

In addition to his coaching record, Parker also praised Winegarden as the author of "Lessons from the Goalpost," along with his other leadership and program development initiatives.

Winegarden has a bachelor's degree in exceptional learning (K-12) from Chattanooga and a master's in K-12 education from Tusculum.

As Patch previously reported, Winegarden took over a beleaguered Wildcats football program that won only five games in two years under Jay Todd. His best record for TCHS came in 2022, when the Wildcats finished 6-4, but missed the playoffs.

Success on the field isn't everything, though, with Winegarden playing a key role in several transformative projects to boost the program's profile, such as a new turf field, renovations to the field house and the addition of a new digital video board.

After the players were told Thursday morning, TCHS Principal Darrell Williams thanked Winegarden and his family for the "profound impact" they have had on the football program, school, and community.

"Over the past three years, Coach Winegarden elevated our program and facilities to new heights, sometimes even exceeding the goals we set at the beginning of his time here," Williams said. "In our initial discussions, we outlined ambitious objectives for our football program, and I want to acknowledge Coach Winegarden’s success in achieving the most of those goals. As he moves on to a new chapter in his life, I wholeheartedly wish him the best of luck. We all have personal and professional aspirations, and I fully respect his decision to pursue them. Despite Coach Winegarden’s departure, we truly believe that our football program is in a great place."

No word has been given on a potential replacement for the Wildcats, who have not made the playoffs since 2014 under former head coach Lee Gibson.

However, Williams said with strong community support, a dedicated faculty and staff, and hardworking players, TCHS is confident that it will attract the ideal candidate to move the program forward.

Williams then said the search process for Winegarden's replacement would begin immediately.

"In a region known for its tough competition, we embrace the challenges week in and week out," he said. "This is yet another challenge, and we are nothing but optimistic about the future of the Tuscaloosa County High School football program."

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