Julius Head

Julius Head played running back for Greenville High School in the 1950s. He helped an unbeaten Tigers squad to a state title in 1955. In college, he played under legendary coach Bobby Bowden at Howard College, now Samford University. He earned his teaching certificate at Howard. Head began his coaching career with assistant football jobs at West End Birmingham and Bay Minette, where he stayed one year at each school. He accepted the head coaching position at Lincoln High School, directing the Golden Bears for three seasons beginning in 1966. He was then hired at Yancey State Junior College, now Faulkner State, as the head track coach and assistant baseball coach and stayed one year before he took a job as an assistant football coach at his alma mater, Greenville. After two years at Greenville High School, Coach Head moved across town to the new AISA private school Fort Dale Academy and became the schools first head football coach in 1971. He stayed there four years before becoming offensive coordinator for his friend Bobby Wasden at Woodham High School in Pensacola. He remained there for three seasons before returning as head coach at Fort Dale for two years from 1978-79. His 1979 team was the state title runner-up. While at Fort Dale he was also the baseball, basketball, track and golf coach at the school. Coach Head then accepted the head coaching job at Daleville for five years (1980-85), Coffee Springs for a single season (1986), Florala for another year in 1987 before taking over the Purple Cats program at Ariton in 1988. He stayed at Ariton through the 1994 season. Coach Heads best years came in 1990 and 1991 as both teams reached the state quarterfinals and the 1991 team went 11-2. Head directed the Purple Cats to a 69-16 record from 1988-94, including a perfect 23-0 area record and seven region titles. His teams compiled a 23-10 record from 2003-05. Goshen was the next stop for Coach Head in 1995. He led the Eagles to a 22-19 record in four seasons, including a 9-2 state playoff team in 1997. He moved over to Elba for a couple of seasons beginning in 1999 going 5-15, but leading the Tigers to the state playoffs in 1999. In 2003 Head began his second tenure at Ariton that lasted for three seasons. Head spent four years as athletic director and head boys basketball coach at Enterprise Prep Academy before serving as a volunteer coach with the Purple Cats football team. In 2012 He began his third stint as the head football coach at Ariton. His 12 year record at Ariton was 97 wins and 41 losses, with the Purple Cats making the playoffs each of the first ten years he coached the team. His teams at Ariton recorded five 10-win seasons, establishing him as the winningest coach in the schools history. Coach Head stepped down following the 2013 season. Coach Julius Head was inducted into the Fort Dale Hall of Fame.