Coach Joe Swagart Named NFHS Alabama Coach of the Year

Last year, Bayside won its first AHSAA Indoor Track & Field State Championship team title. The team had four individual medalists, and the 4x400-meter relay and 4x800-meter relay were relay state champs. Seniors Madeline Dudley and Annie Midyett finished second in the high jump and 800-meter run, respectively. Senior Kate Huey and junior Shelby Fargason finished third in the 60-meter hurdles and 3200-meter run, respectively. Midyett, Huey, freshman Stella Parks, and 8^th grader Avery Therrell broke the school record on their way to a State Championship in the 4x400. Senior Catherine Doyle, Midyett, Therrell, and 8^th grader Ansleigh Smith broke the school record on their way to a State Championship in the 4x800.

 

Upon notification of his recognition as Coach of the Year, Coach Swagart said, “Over my 12 years at Bayside Academy, we've had many special groups who have achieved the pinnacle of sports, a state championship. To win the 4A/5A AHSAA State Championship last year, which made this recognition possible, is a result of athletes and coaches who have given their best and the excellence they show everyday as we pursue being our best. Most importantly, I am proud of the type of people our athletes have become and the friendships/community they've developed over the years.”

 

Coach Swagart has been a head coach for boys’ and girls’ cross country and track & field programs for nearly 20 years. With eight AHSAA State Championships, 15 AHSAA State Runners-Up, and three AISA State Runners-Up, he helps his teams excel. He has been recognized as the Press-Register Coach of the Year three times and was named the USTFCCCA Girls Cross Country Coach of the Year in 2021.

 

We are so proud of Coach Swagart’s well-deserved recognition!