Catching Up With…
(Coach) Fred Yancey
Question
#1: What was your position at Towering Oaks and how long did you
work there?
Mr. Yancey: In the spring of 1974, I had just been named to the position of head football coach at Overton High School. Overton is where I had been an assistant coach for 5 years. Although I was looking forward to that position, I knew that the government schools had a dim future and too much turmoil would make it impossible to have a quality program. At about the same time, I was offered a coaching position at a new private, Baptist, Christian School-Towering Oaks. I took the job and was an assistant to one of my favorite people and a former coach, Danny Childs, for two years. 1976-77 was my last year at TO as I left to become principal at SBEC.
Question #2: Please tell us how you are doing and about your life today.
Mr. Yancey: Today, I am the Dean of Students and Varsity football coach at Briarwood Christian School in Birmingham, Alabama. My wife, Sharon, and I will celebrate our 37th year of marriage this month. We have been blessed with two great children, Allison, married to Gregory Griffith with 3 children and Bart, married last April to Danielle Hooks. We have been in Alabama for 14 years following 9 years at ECS in Memphis, 3 years coaching in Georgia and one year at SBEC. The Lord has been so good to my family and me. All of my family lives in Birmingham and we see them often.
Question #3: Fill us in on what you have done over the years since your days at TO.
Mr. Yancey: Most of my life's story can be summed up by saying I am a lifetime, full time high school football coach. The Briarwood Lions play in the Alabama High School Athletic Association. We play mostly public schools and we have given them fits. This past December, we won our 3rd State Championship. In class 5A, we are in the second largest classification although our enrollment is much smaller. I have been blessed to be surrounded with great assistant coaches and players (84 in grades 10-12) who really care about the game. We have won 11 or more games 9 of the 14 years I have been here. All that to say that the Lord has blessed our efforts. It is also another way of saying that I wish I could go back and coach the fine young men at TO with the knowledge, understanding and experience that I have gained since I was a young "know it all" who really knew little.
Question #4: What are your favorite memories from Towering Oaks?
Mr. Yancey: I have many favorite memories of TO. One was when we played Memphis Prep at TO on a Saturday afternoon. We were ahead 8-7, thanks to Ricky Porter picking up a dying punt in the first half and taking it in for a score. Chuck Acuff, a fine running back and defensive player, was playing QB that day because Ty Carter and Tommy Turpin were both hurt. We were hanging on to the one point lead for dear life but you could see that Prep had the upper hand and great field position. With less than 1:50 left in the game, it was 4th and 13 and Curt Ladd was punting out of our end zone into a stiff wind. On his own, (no one in America would have faked it in that situation), he took off running and gained 23 yards for a first down. Acuff ran out the clock and we had a big victory. Coach Bretherick, from Prep, was in shock and all he could say as we shook hands was,"Fred, did you call that?". I wasn't brave or dumb enough to take the credit or blame.
I also remember one year when Coach Roger, Ronnie Doss, Gary Murphy, Tom Patterson and I "sang" (fake singing), Little Darling and everyone thought it was great fun. We were really a hit at the Talent Show. Since we were so good that year, we did it again the next year, only this time we did 4 songs. Each and every song was a bomb and still, to this day, is one of the longest moments in my life. It was awful.
A great memory was beating Elliston in football to stop their 17 game winning streak. The TO basketball teams were simply great. The Proctor boys, Swick, Carpenter, Carter, Kelly and jumping jack Dale Smith, made us proud.
Danny Childs was a great Headmaster and I am proud to have served under him. Coach Roger and all of the guys I coached with were great fun and even to this day, I miss much of the laughter that Doss, and Murphy generated.
Question #5: Is there a message to the alumni of TO that you would like for us to pass along?
Mr. Yancey: As I close out this segment for toweringoaks.com, I once again am impressed at how the Lord has been forgiving and merciful. I am proud that I was a part of TO. The guys and girls were really sharp and had such great potential. Despite my inexperience and inabilities, I hope the Lord used the lessons taught to help those great kids who made up the Wolfpack. As a 58 year old coach, husband, dad, and grandfather (my G-kids call me "Coach"), I am reassured that the truths of Christ and His Holy Word and really what matter. Proverbs 3:1-6 communicates the wonderful message that I would like to leave with you today.
P.S. Please feel free to contact me at fyancey@briarwood.org. I would love to hear from you and I look forward to reading more on this website. Thanks for thinking of me.
Thank you Coach Fred! It is great to hear that you are doing so well and we wish you continued happiness and success in the future.
