Ben Harris

Ben Harris is best known for his amazing turnaround at Blount high school in Prichard beginning in the late 1980s. When he arrived at Blount he took over a football program that had lost more games the previous ten seasons than any other Class 5A team in Alabama. In 1987 the Leopards went 1-9 but things changed upon Harris arrival in 1988. His first team finished 6-6 and won the first playoff game in school history. Over the next ten seasons Blount went 100-30 winning eight region championships along the way. The Leopards also won four state championships in 1990, 1992, 1996 and 1997 with a playoff record of 30-5. The Leopards also managed runner-up finishes in 1991 and 1995. Following back-to-back titles in 1996-97 Harris accepted an offer to become an assistant coach at his alma mater, Alabama State. He would remain there for five seasons and also served as the interim head coach for a time. Harris returned to the high school ranks at Daleville in 2000 for two seasons before coming home to Blount in 2003 for his final six seasons as a head coach. Harris went on to compile a 135-80 overall head coaching record. He was named Coach of the Year by the ASWA in 1990 and 1997. He played sports at Toulminville high school in Mobile, which later became LeFlore Magnet School. He was the starting quarterback at Alabama State from 1975-78 and actually played one season on the basketball team. Following his playing days at Alabama State he accepted the head coaching position at Clayton High School in 1982 for one season. Harris was named Mobile County Citizen of the Year in 1996. He was selected Blount High School Teacher of the Year in 1992 and received the Mobile Mentors Pride Award from 1992-96. He served as head coach in the 1991 Alabama-Mississippi Football Classic and was an assistant in 1997. In 1998 he was named the NFL High School Coach of the Year. He was elected to the AHSAA Hall of Fame and the Mobile Hall of Fame.