SYLACAUGA, Ala. – A familiar face will soon be taking over the B.B. Comer baseball program.
On May 31, B.B. Comer High School named assistant coach Stephen Strickland as its new head coach, replacing Mark Vincent, who stepped down from the position at the conclusion of the 2021 season.
Vincent served as the Tigers head coach for seven seasons.
Strickland has been coaching for two years. Before being hired on as a full time teacher and coach at the beginning of the 2020-2021 school year, he served as a volunteer assistant coach for both football and baseball at Sylacauga High School.
Growing up, Strickland was surrounded by influential coaches that helped prepare him for this moment.
“Growing up a coaches son, I learned a lot just from seeing my dad coach,” said Strickland. “He has given me a ton of advice and has provided great mentorship for me. I’ve learned the ins and outs of this coaching business from him. I’ve also learned the game of baseball from some guys that know a lot about the game. From playing for Coach Mike Gibbs, Robby Richardson and Marty Turner the knowledge I gained from them while playing for them helped me out when I first started coaching. Working with Coach Bell at Sylacauga, I learned even more about baseball than I could have ever imagined. Lastly, Coach Vincent at Comer helped me in understanding all of the other things that come with being a head coach. He has helped me figure out all of the things off the field and has mentored me in the right direction and I am thankful for all of his help and guidance.”
Since deciding to go into teaching, Strickland has always dreams of someday becoming a head coach.
“Being able to become a head coach is a blessing,” said Strickland. “I am excited to have this opportunity to lead this baseball program.”
Information about tryouts and evaluations will be released at a later date.
