Selma High recruits Southside, RC Hatch coaches to lead football, basketball teams

Selma High School has grabbed two winning coaches from nearby Black Belt schools to head up the Saints football and basketball programs.

During a press conference on Monday, Selma Athletic director Reginald Glover announced a major recruiting coup: the hiring of crosstown rival Southside High’s star football coach Charles Moody, who ended the 2025 season in the semifinals, to serve as the Saint’s new coach.

Selma Saints also nabbed RC Hatch’s 2025 state championship winning basketball coach Johnathan Harris from Uniontown. 

Glover said the hiring moves are made to improve the sports programs to previous glory and make Friday Night Lights where the community gathers again.

“We’re trying to rebrand ourselves and bring some of that pride back,” Glover told a crowd of parents, teachers and media. “We want you all to have better than what we had.”

Coach Moody said he’s excited about the work that’s to come, while Harris said, “It’s all about the grit. We’ve got to get to work early. We’re working now, actually.”

Moody arrives from Southside High School, where he served as head football coach for seven years and led the Panthers to the Class 3A semifinals last season. Harris, a Selma native, comes from R.C. Hatch in Uniontown, where he spent 12 years building one of the region’s most respected basketball programs. Coach Harris led the Bobcats to just six losses over the past two seasons.

Both coaches emphasized discipline, structure, and pride as the foundation for rebuilding Selma High’s athletic culture. “Expectations are key,” Moody said when asked how he plans to put the Saints on a winning track. Harris offered the same answer for basketball, saying the team must reclaim “that same pride” and commit to defense because “defense won championships.”

The press conference quickly evolved into a broader discussion about the role of athletics in shaping young men and supporting families. One parent asked how the coaches planned to impact the community beyond the field and court. Moody responded that many young people fall into negative influences simply because they lack options. “We want to give the kids options,” he said. “We want to have successful extracurricular (activities) that keep the kids out of the streets, give them great father figures, teach them how to be men.”

Harris added that character development requires partnership with families. “I’d like the parents to be able to call me as well and say, ‘I need a little help with Johnny,’” he said. “That’s how I go to tighten up all fast with that whole character thing.”

One of the most talked about moments came when Moody confirmed that his son, record-setting quarterback Kole Moody, will join him at Selma High as a freshman. “He’s excited,” Moody said. “He feels like there’s some weapons over here that he wants to distribute the ball to.” The announcement drew murmurs and excitement from the crowd, given the long-standing rivalry between Selma High and Southside.

Moody also outlined immediate plans for exposing players to new opportunities. “Kids and people can only attain what they’ve been exposed to,” he said. “We already have some camps set up that we want to take them to. Get them to see other colleges, other schools, and how they do things.”

Parents and community members pressed the coaches and Glover on issues ranging from mentorship to attendance to financial support. Glover acknowledged past concerns about ticket prices and promised changes. “I do apologize for this past year,” he said, noting that football tickets had been set at $15. “That will be rectified. I think that ticket would be $10.”

He also expressed a desire to create student and family season passes and to partner with the city to improve facilities. “We are in a position to build some partnerships and relationships that can get us over the hump,” Glover said. “We’re looking to resurface and upgrade our facilities.”

Both coaches stressed the importance of parent involvement and consistent messaging at home. Moody said, “If all the parents are echoing that and we have one voice and one sound, we’re going to be successful.”

Glover and the coaches stressed the need for stronger parent involvement and community partnerships. Several parents asked how they could support the programs, from donating Gatorade to helping with transportation and nutrition.

Moody didn’t hesitate, “We need protein, peanut butter, bread, jelly, fruit, Gatorade.  Every premier school in Alabama has that going.”

As the event closed, Glover reminded the audience that the work begins immediately. The coaches planned to visit the middle school the same afternoon to begin building relationships early. “With them being varsity head coaches, everything feeds up to them,” he said. “We need to make sure that we are building those relationships with students and parents as early as elementary school.”

 Glover said the goal is to restore the Friday night atmosphere Selma once knew. “Everything used to shut down on Friday nights,” for the games he said. “We’re trying to recreate that.”