(Photo courtesy Dr. Jan Harris) From left to right, Dr. Harris, superintendent of schools; Brent Cooper, Dade County High School athletic director; school board member Jennifer Hartline; DCHS principal James Fahrney; Melissa and Dale Pruitt; school board members Bob Woods, Johnny Warren, Carolyn Bradford and Daniel Case.
Dade County Superintendent of Schools Jan Irons Harris announced Monday that veteran football coach Dale Pruitt will be joining the Dade County team as head football coach and faculty member at Dade County High School in the new school year.
"The opportunity to hire a legend doesn’t come around very often," said Dade County principal James Farhney. "Many talented candidates applied for this key leadership position, but the interview team unanimously selected Coach Pruitt without reservation.”
Dale Pruitt comes to Dade from a long and winning coaching career in his native Alabama. He graduated from Plainview High School and Jacksonville State University in Alabama. His first stint as a head football coach came in 1982 in Pisgah. His two teams there finished 18-4 with an undefeated (10-0) regular season in 1983.
In 1984 Coach Pruitt was named to the head football coaching position at his alma mater in Plainview. The Bears won 164 games and lost 64 during a 17-year run with Pruitt as head coach. During his tenure, Plainview made two appearances in the 3A state championship game and won 10 area titles.
Coach Pruitt left Plainview to become the head football coach at Fort Payne in 2001. He stayed three years, going 18-13 and leading the team to its first playoff berth since 1993.
After leaving Fort Payne, Pruitt took over as head coach at Marion County, Tennessee. In two years there, his teams went 14-9. In 2006, Coach Pruitt returned to Plainview for a second run as the head coach. His success continued with playoff appearances in all but one season. He moved to Albertville following the 2014 season.
Coach Pruitt’s overall record in Alabama is 275-129 and 289-138 in both states. His teams have made the playoffs a total of 25 times, and he has won 13 region championships. His 121 region wins rank among the best of all time. Additionally, Coach Pruitt coached four teams to undefeated regular seasons (1983, 1990, 1991 and 1999).
Superintendent Harris said, “We are thankful for the contributions Coach Bradley Warren made to the overall athletic and football program in Dade County during his 11 years of service. We wish the Warren family well as they transition to McIntosh County. At this time, I am delighted to welcome Coach Dale Pruitt to Dade County. Our students will benefit from his experience and wisdom. I am confident that Coach Pruitt will prove to be a tremendous asset not only to our students, but to the entire Dade County community.”
Coach Pruitt replaces Bradley Warren, who is leaving to take a job in McIntosh County, Georgia. Dr. Harris denies his departure is directly related to his not particularly stellar 1-9 win/loss record in the past season. "Coach Warren decided on his own to apply for that job," said the super. "I didn't ask him to do that. Nor did Jamie Fahrney."
She said that Coach Warren's wife was from McIntosh County, which is near Brunswick on the seacoast, and that the Warrens wished now to live near her family after years of living hear his. Outgoing Coach Warren's father is Johnny Warren, who sits on the board of education.
(Incoming Coach Pruitt, meanwhile and incidentally, is the father of University of Tennessee head coach Jeremy Pruitt.)
While denying Coach Warren was sent packing for not winning enough games, Dr. Harris acknowledged the importance of the football program in a community that loves the game as much as Dade. "Nobody wants to be out on the field chanting, 'We are number 2,' " said the super. She said that the athletic program's high expectations and focus on achievement figured into the general atmosphere of academic rigor the schools aim for.
