For awhile now, Rusty Mason has been looking for a way back to Alabama.
The longtime AISA coach who resides in Corpus Christi, Texas, said he thought it might be another year before he could return home. But then Edgewood Academy came calling.
On Monday night, Mason was named the new head football and baseball coach of the Wildcats.
“We’ve also been praying about getting back home, so there were just a lot of things there that made sense,” Mason said. “We thought maybe we were a year away, but God opened the door now. It’s exciting. A lot has to happen to make that move from Texas, but we’ll make it happen.”
Mason brings a large resume to Edgewood Academy, which begins summer football workouts on June 4.
A graduate of Faith Academy, Mason began his coaching career as the running backs and wide receivers coach at Foley, where he coached current Atlanta Falcons receiver Julio Jones. Mason then returned to his alma mater to become the offensive coordinator at Faith and had his first head coaching stint at Cottage Hill beginning in 2004.
Mason still holds the record for most wins in Cottage Hill history. He also coached at Faith and has been a head baseball coach.
“He has a very good pedigree, and that definitely helped,” Edgewood athletic director Darryl Free said. “He’s got some good connections which are good for the boys in this area. He also has some connections at Samford and Faulkner, but after all that, it was his integrity and character that really drew us to him.”
Mason is now tasked with two very different programs. Edgewood’s football team is in a rebuilding stage, as it has won just one game in the last two seasons. The baseball team, meanwhile, has found quite a bit of success in recent years.
“We know that (the football team) has a longstanding tradition of excellence, so there’s a lot of things in place,” Mason said. “I feel like there are some good foundation things, especially with the middle school classes and some good numbers. We just want to play fast and get the kids into a place of confidence, and the winning will take care of itself after we do those things.
“I think it’s good with our school that we get all the sports to support each other. If football is successful and basketball is successful, then baseball will be successful. We want to continue that. Specialization has gotten so rampant now, and we want to keep that open door for kids to play multiple sports.”
Mason replaces Eric Folmar, who was the head coach at Edgewood Academy for two years.
“Coach Folmar did a great job,” Free said. “He took over this program when we needed somebody and he did a great job with the football and baseball programs. Getting the new blood in here is something good for us. It’s what we needed, and I think (Mason) can bring that high integrity and class. He can help carry on what Folmar brought.”
