Lavon Kelly

Lavon Kelly, a native of Barbour County, attended Barbour County High School in Clio, playing football, basketball, and baseball. He made All-State in football and also county, conference, and district All-Star teams. Kelly was also named team captain in 1956. After graduation from Troy State University in 1962, Lavon Kelly took an assistant coach position with Wildwood High School in Florida and in 1964. He accepted his first head coaching job at Newville High School in Henry County where he coached all sports. Kelly returned to Barbour County to accept a position at Louisville High School in 1965. In 1968, he moved over to Dale County High School for two years. After a short career in insurance, Lavon Kelly accepted the head football coaching job at Houston Academy in 1971. He took his Houston Academy team to the state playoffs in 1972. The Raiders finished as state runner-up the following year. His five teams football squads produced a 41-12-1 record. Kelly also made stops at Carroll High School in Ozark (1977-78) and G. W. Long (1979-80) before retiring from the sidelines after the 1980 football season. As a football coach, Kelly amassed a 80-56-4 mark in 14 seasons in Alabama. In seven seasons as a basketball coach, he posted a 102-42 record. He served as principal for three different schools before retiring from education in 1998. Coach Kelly was honored as an inductee into the 2000 Wiregrass Sports Hall of Fame. He was coach of the South All-Star football team in 1969 and he was elected president of the Alabama High School Coaches Association in 1972. Kelly spent 13 of his 19 years in administration at G. W. Long High School and the other six at Midland City Elementary and Southdale Middle schools. He served on the AHSAA Legislative Council for 23 years and on the Central Board for nine. As an official he called basketball for 10 years and baseball for eight. Lavon Kelly was inducted into the Alabama High School Sports Hall of Fame at the 14th Annual Induction Ceremony and Banquet on March 22, 2004.