After two seasons at the helm of the West Brockton football program, Dremail King tendered his resignation from the head coaching position on March 5th.
King's resignation comes after leading the Tigers to consecutive championships with a 6-5 record in 2022 and 2023, reaching the first round of the playoffs in both seasons. He saw two players, Landin Scurlock (Shorter University) and Landin Lindsey (Maryville University), sign scholarships to play in college.
Off the field, King has brought the Christian Athletes fellowship back to the school and now averages more than 70 kids attending each meeting, King said. He created a care program that involved people of all ages, from elementary school students to faculty, and West planned to host seven to 10 events during the offseason to give back to the Brockton community. .
He also created a social media and online college football recruiting presence that West Brockton didn't have before. He worked to raise funds for his football program and grow his coaching staff from three to as many as ten assistants to his coaches. He also gave West Brockton his first opportunity to host his 7-on-7 tournament in the summer of 2023.
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“West Brockton is a very special place,” King said. “About 90% of my experience was great, but that 10% was so unbearable for me that I can't go back. That school, and the kids in that school, are amazing. There are only bright kids. “I want the opportunity to do well. I loved my time in the building.”
King's decision to resign was influenced by a parent-teacher meeting convened by Bibb County School District Superintendent Kevin Cotner on Jan. 16.
“I'm resigning because a lot of very unpleasant things have happened,” King said in a statement. “…It's gotten to the point where it's hard to lie down at night.”
Many of the care programs that Dr. King put in place at West Brockton, such as the care program, the school hopes to continue, Principal Terry Lowery said.
“He's a unique person,” Lowry said. “He has a way of drawing people in. So he just sets priorities that we want to continue a lot of the things that he’s put in place…He’s really focused on team leadership. He was trying to run a leadership committee.'' “He brought in guest speakers, motivational type speakers.We really want to continue a lot of the things that he did.''
Prior to his time at West Brockton, King, 39, began as an assistant at his alma mater, Central High School, and took his first heading coaching job at Sumter Central in 2013. There, he led the Jaguars to 2-8 overall in two years. This is the third season of the show.
He then moved to Georgia, where he spent time as offensive coordinator and assistant head coach at Meadowcreek High School in Gwinnett County, followed by two seasons, one as head coach, at Carver High School in Columbus. He also coached in the East-West All-Star Game at Georgia and was named Gwinnett County Assistant Coach of the Year in 2014.
After returning to Alabama in 2018, he began working as an assistant defensive coordinator under former Patriots coach Chris Smelley at American Christian Academy. He took the head coaching job in Greensboro in 2020 and led the Raiders to a 6-5 record. And in 2022, King begins his tenure in West Brockton.
Although Mr. King has stepped down from his coaching position, he will continue to teach physical education at West Brockton through the remainder of the school year while figuring out his next step.
The original version of this story was corrected to include the fact that West Brockton High School has produced other players who have signed college scholarships. Those include Caleb Shadwick (Reinhardt), Jaylon Gaines (Reinhardt), Jake Vick (UWA) and Brennan Blake (UAB).
Anna Snyder covers high school sports and University of Alabama softball and football recruiting for the Tuscaloosa News. Contact asnyder@gannett.com. Follow her on Social Media Platforms Her X, formerly known as Her Twitter, @annaesnyder2.
