ORANGE BEACH — After coaching at the Class 7A level since 2014, something had to pull Wade Waldrop to take over a Class 4A program in Orange Beach.

“The alignment between the city and the school is unbelievable,” Waldrop said. “I’ve been in this a long time, and I think any coach would tell you when you have a community that’s working in the same direction as a school, that sets up for a really good recipe for success. But the opportunity to do that and to bring my family here and live in this community to be a part of this community was a major draw.”

Still, to come from the 11-time state champion Hoover Bucs to a Mako football team that’s played only four varsity seasons might have felt like a step back. But Waldrop was reminded of his time in the Huntsville area where he and his staff helped build the James Clemens program from scratch only to qualify for its first state playoffs in its third varsity season and win its first region crown in the seventh varsity season.

“I said this when I took the job, I think this is a destination job. I’ve been at a place in Madison where we kind of built it from the ground up and thrived there and this kind of reminds me of that,” Waldrop said. “I think it’s a blank slate here for what we want it to be. And partnered along with the mayor and the city and with the school leadership and the board of education, I think we can make this whatever we want it to be and be a part of building something that is truly special.”

Wade Waldrop mentioned the @OrangeBeachFB opening was “a coaches dream,” and said the recipe for success is the same no matter the size of the school #ALHSFB pic.twitter.com/E3sP8THbnu

— Gulf Coast Media Sports (@GCMSportsAL) January 17, 2024

Wednesday marked Day 10 of Waldrop’s tenure as Orange Beach’s head football coach and the community welcomed him and his family with an evening meet and greet at the high school. Athletes, parents and supporters introduced themselves to the Makos’ third head football coach as well as his wife Kimberly and children Carsyn, Camryn, Cooper and Callyn.

“That’s very exciting,” Waldrop said of the turnout. “For me it feels really good but I know for my family to feel welcome, that goes a long way.”

While it was still a little too early to talk X’s and O’s, Waldrop said his first few days on campus have been spent in the weight room as well as learning names of players and coaches.

“Met with the players, have watched the players workout probably eight times and those kids work hard. Right now, we’re in the process of getting to know those guys and I told them to bear with me. I’ll figure the names out over time but they do a good job of reminding me who they are,” Waldrop said. “The big thing right now is just plugging in and building relationships with the parents, the teachers, the coaches and the kids.”

Already, he can see promise in Orange Beach’s athletes and can see this group playing Wade Waldrop football.

“We want to be very tough,” the head coach said of the on-field expectations. “We want to be physical, and we want to be disciplined. We want to be a team that win lose or draw, whoever our opponent is says, ‘We don’t want to play them again.’ That’s who we want to be.”

Now, after years of driving by and wondering what could be, the Waldrops finally have a chance to put their stamp on the Mako program.

“We’ve driven by the school many times and I’ve said many times that we wish we could come by and see what we would have done, what we could do in life as educators with a place like that never knowing that it would be a reality,” Waldrop said. “It is now, and it just makes you kind of sit back and grin.”