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Carl Madison returns to Tate Aggies
(PNJ 1/2009) The Panhandle will have its most heralded coach on the sidelines once again.
One of the top coaches in Florida high school football history, Carl Madison officially has agreed to take over as the offensive coordinator at Tate for the 2009 season.
"It was a hard decision to make, but I just love coaching," said Madison, 77. "I've done it all my life."
Coaching 34 seasons in three states, Madison has a 326-129-7 record, ranking him second on Florida's all-time victories list. He was also selected to the Florida High School Athletic Association's All-Century coaching staff in 2007.
Madison will be charged with installing his splitback veer offense, an option-style attack that helped him earn five state championships. He won three titles in Florida — one at Tate in 1980 and back-to-back crowns at Pine Forest in 1987-88.
"There's excitement when it comes to Tate football," Tate coach Ed Rigby said. "He was the one to put the program on the map. He brings a lot of knowledge to the table, he's still sharp and is still a student of the game."
Madison's last coaching stint came at tiny Jackson Academy, a private school in Southwest Alabama. He took the job in 2002 at age 71. Inheriting a team that went 0-10 the season before, Madison's team lost the first two games of the season, then went on to win the state championship. The next season, Jackson Academy went undefeated and won a second consecutive state title.
Starting in March, Madison will commute from his home in Atmore, Ala., to Tate, — 35 miles each way — twice a week, joining in on the coaches meetings and keeping an eye on the team's offseason training. Spring football officially begins on May 1. He plans on staying around through the 2009 football season.
Madison met the team for the first time on Wednesday.
"We've got some pretty good-looking kids," Madison said.
Tate returns 15 starters from a 4-6 team that made its first playoff appearance in seven years. Using a multiple-set offense, the Aggies finished runner-up to Pace in District 1-4A before falling to Fort Walton Beach in the Region 1-4A quarterfinals.
With the district realignments announced last week, Tate now joins Pace, Milton, Escambia, Navarre and Pine Forest in District 1-4A. The champion and runner-up will advance to regional play.
Coaching in the high school and college ranks, this will be the first season since 1993 that Rigby has not called offensive plays. As a Tate High graduate, former assistant and close friend of Madison, Rigby is thrilled to hand the reins over.
"It'll be different, not calling the plays," Rigby said. "But I can think of no one better, who I respect and admire more than Carl Madison."
Mulling over the opportunity for the past two months, Madison's age or daily commute couldn't keep him away.
"I'm anxious to get back out there," Madison said. "To get out there with the kids and try to do this."
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