Phil Lazenby

Phil Lazenby graduated from Bessemer High School and Samford University. He was the secondary coach at Jess Lanier for five seasons (1976-80) before joining the Mountain Brook staff. Lazenby served as an assistant and defensive coordinator at Mountain Brook from 1981-90. In 1992 he accepted the head coaching job at Guntersville when Coach Bucky Pitts moved on. In five season his teams finished a combined 38-18, winning three region titles and making three playoff appearances. His last two teams went 10-2. Lazenby replaced outgoing Southside coach Roger Hibbs in 1996, who left to become the head coach at Pell City. His only team at Southside finished 6-6 and made the playoffs for the first time in six years. 1997 saw him moving over to Benjamin Russell for the next four years. His 1997 and 2000 teams reached the Super Six championship games before losing a chance at a state title. His last three teams won region titles. Coach Lazenby retired from the public school system following the 2000 seasons. He served as the assistant head coach, offensive line coach and strength and conditioning coach at UMS-Wright from 2001-2006. He played a big role in the Bulldogs state titles in 2001, 2002 and 2005. Lazenby moved across the bay to Baldwin County and Bayside Academy in 2007. In sixteen years his Admirals finished 115-72, qualifying for the playoffs thirteen times. The 2015 team reached the state championship game in Tuscaloosa before falling to Piedmont. His overall coaching record is 202-114. He would leave the sidelines at Bayside Academy following the 2022 football season to start the football program at nearby Bayshore Academy. Coach Lazenby was named Coach of the Year by the Alabama Sports Writers Association in 1997 and 2011.