Phillips named new Hartselle baseball coach

Hartselle High School has announced the hiring of Brad Phillips as their next baseball head coach. Phillips will follow in the steps of legendary Hartselle head coach William Booth, who passed away last month following

Booth took over in 1987 and was state’s all-time winningest coach with 1,217 wins. He also won nine state championships during his tenure.

Phillips comes to Hartselle after six years as pitching coach at the University of South Alabama. Prior to USA, he was an assistant coach at Troy University for eight years.

Prior to joining the Troy staff in 2010, Phillips served as head coach for two years at Niceville (Fla.) High School and for four years at Charles Henderson High School. He led CHHS to four straight AHSAA playoff appearances, including a 5A state championship appearance in 2008.

“It became pretty evident early on in our search that coach Phillips was the best fit for Hartselle baseball,” Hartselle High athletic director Jake Miles said. “The thing that makes Phillips the best fit for the job is not that he simply understands baseball, but that he understands the Hartselle tradition and the importance of growing our kids and our culture in the right way. ”

He graduated from Hazel Green High School and played collegiately at Gadsden State Community College and the University of Montevallo. He earned his degree at Troy in 2004, while serving as a volunteer assistant during the 2003-04 seasons.

Phillips is married to the former Peyton Marsh of Madison. The couple, has one daughter, Piper Belle, and one son, Scout.