Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

Pike Liberal Arts announced the hiring of new athletic director and head football coach Hugh Fountain earlier this week and Fountain released his first comments about the move on Wednesday.

After 34 years in the coaching profession, including 16 with Charles Henderson High School, the Troy University graduate has made his return to Troy after nine years with Escambia Academy.

“I’m excited to meet the boys and see who’s in there,” Fountain said in a statement released to the media. “Obviously, they’ve been the state champions the last two years in AISA, now we are going to the AHSAA. It’s going to be a new experience for us and it can be something that we are proud of.

“The greatest thing about getting to come back to Troy is that I now get to just coach football. That was really the driving force of me coming here. At Escambia, I wore a lot of hats. I loved working at Escambia, but being able to change and go back to just being a football coach was something I was looking forward to and something I wanted to do.”

Fountain’s success on the field is unquestionable. During his time at CHHS, 10 of his 16 teams made the playoffs, and he won two AISA State Championships at Escambia Academy with six straight championship appearances. During his coaching career, his players have also found success at the next level as he has sent former players on to play at Auburn, Alabama, Arkansas, Troy and numerous other colleges and universities. Current Auburn defensive backs coach and associate head coach Zac Etheridge played for Fountain at Charles Henderson.

“Coach Fountain is a phenomenal coach and an even better human being,” Etheridge said. “His authenticity of being very true to who he is and what he believes allows him to connect with not only his players, but the families and the community around him. I think Coach Fountain will do a phenomenal job for the students at Pike Lib, as well as the teachers and faculty.”

Pike Head of School Eric Burkett agreed with Etheridge’s view of Fountain as a man, as well.

“I am very excited to welcome Hugh Fountain as the next athletic director and head football coach at Pike Liberal Arts,” Burkett said. “He bring as wealth of knowledge to both positions, is a man of faith and is loved in the Troy community.

‘Coach Fountain knows what it takes to run a successful football program and athletic department, and I am confident he will be a huge asset to our Pike family. I welcome him and his wife, Susan, back to Troy and cannot wait to get started. In fact, he has already hit the ground running. It’s a great time to be a Patriot.”