Sports
Whitt joins HHS staff, named assistant coach
By Griffin Pritchard
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John Whitt is intense.
“He was a marine and they sent him to Afghanistan, ” said Holtville football coach Barry Gibson. “He was crawling around in the caves looking for Bin Laden after 9/11.”
Whitt, who began coaching with Gibson while he was at Ardmore and most recently served as defensive coordinator at Daphne, will join Gibson’s Bulldog staff as defensive coordinator and assistant head coach.
“He just does a tremendous job,” said Gibson.
Whitt brings with him credibility not only as a coach, as a player. He has three national championship rings during his tenure at the University of North Alabama, where he played cornerback.
“He does a good job getting the kids ready for the games,” said Gibson. “He understands my defensive philosophy and he brings with him a knowledge of the game that is incredible.”
Last season, Daphne advanced to the third round of the Alabama High School Athletic Association playoffs with back-to-back victories over Blount and Opelika. It’s season ended with a loss to rival McGill-Toolen.
“He brings with him an intensity that the kids have no problem buying into,” said Gibson. “He’s very enthusiastic and just a real, no-nonsense type of a coach. He gets the kids playing hard on the defensive side of the football.”
Whitt was a part of Gibson’s Ardmore staff during the early part of the decade.
“When we went 8-3 and went to the playoffs for the first time up there,” said Gibson, “we had six shutouts.”
Gibson says that teams have been able to buy into Whitt because of what he brings to the field.
“The kids are going to buy into his style of coaching. He is very intense,” said Gibson. “He does a great job motivating the kids and I’m just glad to have him as part of my staff.”
Gibson will also take the reigns of the young Holtville wrestling program.
“Before we hired Coach Whitt, we didn’t have a wrestling coach,” said Gibson. “But he will be great for the program because in his spare time he does Ultimate Fighting in a cage. So he’s perfect for the wrestling program.”
Last season, the Bulldogs sent five grapplers to compete in the state tournament.
“I think he’s going to be perfect for our wrestling program that our program is going to grow just from having him on board. I really think it’s going to improve under him and I know our football staff is going to be better because of him.”
Holtville’s first football game is scheduled for Aug. 29 at Marbury.
Kick is slated for 7 p.m.
