Stanford tapped as head coach/athletic director at RHS

Mississippi native expected to report by May 6

By John Underwood, John@gulfcoastmedia.com
Posted 4/26/19

ROBERTSDALE, Ala. — At its meeting Thursday, April 25, the Baldwin County Board of Education confirmed the hiring of 33-year-old Mississippi native Kyle …

This item is available in full to subscribers.

Subscribe to continue reading. Already a subscriber? Sign in

Get the gift of local news. All subscriptions 50% off for a limited time!

You can cancel anytime.
 

Please log in to continue

Log in

Stanford tapped as head coach/athletic director at RHS

Mississippi native expected to report by May 6

Posted

ROBERTSDALE, Ala. — At its meeting Thursday, April 25, the Baldwin County Board of Education confirmed the hiring of 33-year-old Mississippi native Kyle Stanford as the new head coach/athletic director at Robertsdale High School.

A 2007 graduate of the University of Mississippi in Oxford, Stanford received his master’s degree in 2012 from Arkansas State University.

He began his coaching career as a social studies teacher at Center High School in Olive Branch, Mississippi, in 2007, serving as varsity wide receivers’ coach (2007-09) and head girls’ and boys’ power lifting coach from 2007-2008.

He became the head ninth grade coach in 2008, also serving as assistant boys’ and girls’ track coach (2008-11). In 2010 he was promoted to offensive coordinator and served as the school’s interim head coach from March to May of 2011.

In 2011 he was hired as assistant head coach at Northwest Rankin High School in Flowood, Mississippi, serving as defensive coordinator from 2011-12, and offensive coordinator from 2012-13.

In 2013 he became assistant head coach/defensive coordinator at Desoto Central High School, returning to Olive Branch in 2016 to serve as assistant head coach/defensive coordinator at Olive Branch High School, where he also served as head powerlifting coach and assistant track coach.

Stanford was chosen among 74 candidates for the athletic director/head football coach position at Robertsdale High School following the departure of Chase Smith after just one season at the helm for the Golden Bears.

Stanford was a finalist for the head coaching job at Orange Beach High School, who ultimately hired Smith in March to head up their emerging athletic programs.

“(Stanford) separated himself from the pack with his attention to detail, his high energy and enthusiasm,” said RHS Principal Joe Sharp. “He is a defensive-minded coach who will have his hand in all aspects of the game.”

Sharp said he is looking for Stanford to continue to build on Smith’s success at Robertsdale, taking the Golden Bears from 0-10 in 2017 to 2-8 last season, including single-digit losses to Faith Academy, Daphne and St. Paul’s.

“I look for him to be walking the halls here at Robertsdale High School and all of our feeder schools, injecting the same type of enthusiasm that Coach Smith brought to RHS,” Sharp said.

Stanford remains in Mississippi, Sharp said, while he and his wife Rebecca are expecting the birth of their first child “any day.” He is expected to report to RHS by May 6, Sharp said.

“We look forward to Coach Stanford, Rebecca and their young family being a part of this school,” Sharp said, “and a part of this community.”