Carr approved as new head football coach at Carver
After an extensive interview process, Bobby Carr was named new head football coach at G.W. Carver High School. (File Photo)
By TIM GAYLE
He had talked with G.W. Carver principal Gary Hall before about a head coaching position.
This time, Bobby Carr listened.
Carr was approved by the Montgomery County Board of Education as the Wolverines’ head football coach on Tuesday night, finalizing a deal that had been worked out a month earlier.
“A lot of people ask me if I’ve got a chip on my shoulder,” Carr said. “I think most people know that answer. As far as the coaching part, I’m not taking this job to prove people wrong; the biggest thing is, I’m proving people right, the people that did believe in me. Those naysayers are always going to have something to say.
“And, yes, they’ll be challenges here, just like there are for any job. Most high school kids come from some type of brokenness and they need somebody that can relate to them, that have been down that road in some sort of way. I’ve shared some of my shortcomings and some of the mistakes that I’ve made in my life. I got to a point where I didn’t like the guy in the mirror and when you get to that point, you’ve got to change some things about who you are. I’m glad God’s grace shined down on me and this opportunity presented itself.
“What I’m looking forward to is being able to be a good mentor and guide these young men in the right direction in life. I think the football part takes care of itself.”
Carr left Autauga Academy after the 2021 season, one of the most successful coaches in the history of the Alabama Independent School Association who thought it was time to coach in the public school ranks. At the time, he turned down an offer from Hall because he had already accepted an offer from Elmore County High principal Wes Rogers. But in a crazy twist, the formality of being approved by the Board of Education took a detour when the board refused to second a motion to hire him, leaving the position open.
Carr looked at other positions, primarily as an offensive coordinator, when the Park Crossing job was offered to him. Again, needing only approval from the board, he thought the job was his, only to discover otherwise in a May board meeting.
That’s why, despite some preemptive social media posts about the Carver position in the last month, Carr has remained silent, waiting on the board’s approval that didn’t come the last time they considered him for a position.
Carr, a former Stanhope Elmore quarterback, got his coaching start in the 8-man ranks with New Life (1996-2000), taking the Millbrook private school to heights never achieved before. He moved on to Edgewood Academy in 2001, coaching the Wildcats to 10 finals in 15 years, including seven state championships. Carr’s teams, known for their explosive offenses, generated more than 400 points in a season 11 times and more than 600 points with his last four teams.
He exited Edgewood with some controversy after the 2015 season and resurfaced at the Wildcats’ chief rival, Autauga Academy, as the Generals’ offensive coordinator in 2016. He took over as head coach in 2017 and guided Autauga to three state titles, with his teams achieving more than 400 points in a season four of the five years.
Carver, meanwhile, hasn’t scored more than 300 points in a season since 2014.
“It’s not about me,” Carr said. “The head coach is only as good as the people he surrounds himself, just like any leader in any organization. What I’m trying to do now is put together a good staff and we’re headed in the right direction. I’ve got some good guys, a number of coaches who have coached at the collegiate level as well as some guys who have coached for some very successful high school programs. That’s going to have a lot to do with our success.”
After failing to get jobs at Elmore County High and Park Crossing, Carr accepted a position as the head coach at Presbyterian Christian in Hattiesburg, Miss., going 3-8 in 2022. This past season, he was the offensive coordinator for Nathan McDaniel at Elberta in a 2-8 season.
On Friday, he will meet with the Carver football players in his first day at the school to provide a glimpse at what they can expect this fall.
“I just look forward to meeting them and look forward to getting to know each of them as a person, not just as a football player,” Carr said. “I’ll set up some meetings with guys. I want them to hear my vision and share my vision with them and lay down some guidelines, not an expectation but a standard.
“There are a lot of expectations out there. People expect us to be in the state championship game right now. But our kids have to understand what the standard is.”
On Monday, he will repeat the process with Sidney Lanier players, who completed their final season of football last fall before merging with Carver for the 2024 season.