Changes on the way, needed at Greenville High School

Published 12:00 am Saturday, December 9, 2006

Click clack.

The popular phrase became mainstream this year when Under Armour apparel released its ads in which athletes repeat the phrase, and it appears Greenville High will be clicking and clacking next season.

Starting next season, the Greenville High football team will be outfitted in Under Armour gear as head coach Bryant Vincent reached a deal with the expanding company.

Although the uniforms will remain with Riddell until 2009, Under Armour will outfit the coaches and provide cleats, gloves, undershirts, and other accessories for the team until they can start producing the new uniforms in '09.

&#8220This is a great deal for us,” Greenville head coach Bryant Vincent said. &#8220(Under Armour) has become the new trend and the stuff feels so good.”

Under Armour has been around for several years but burst into the south this year when Auburn University decided to use the company as its athletic outfitter.

Currently, Maryland, Texas Tech and Auburn are the only three colleges signed with Under Armour.

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After speaking at the Greenville Lions Club meeting Monday afternoon, Vincent headed up to Birmingham to watch the Super 6 championship games at Legion Field and the head coach reaffirmed his commitment to the Greenville football program.

The coach did, however, acknowledge that he has been contacted by two separate schools concerning their head coaching vacancies, although he declined to name the schools and added he is not interested in leaving anyway.

It was evident that schools would start calling after Vincent turned a program with back-to-back 1-9 seasons into a 10-3 team, but the Tiger head coach says he wants to be the winningest high school football coach in Alabama and he wants that to happen here.

But, in order for that to happen, Vincent said some things are going to have to change.

&#8220No. 1, we need a locker room,” Vincent said. &#8220Our kids don't have anywhere to dress and we were the only one of 32 teams (in the playoffs) that don't have their own locker room, showers and weight room.”

Vincent said his coaching staff has also been hampered by poor accommodations.

&#8220We have eight coaches in one office,” Vincent said. &#8220But our biggest problem is the locker room and the weight room because our weight room can hold 25 players or less and we have 80 players.”

&#8220It's a circus,” he added.

Vincent has also been adamant about building a football field and field house on campus.

After the most recent figures provided by the Butler County Board of Education showed that it would take approximately $3.75 million to build the football field and field house, Vincent said he realizes school repairs will probably take precedent over the athletic complex, but changes still need to be made.

&#8220If (this community) wants this program to be successful and to be the program people want it to be, there is going to have to be a commitment made on the facilities deal,” Vincent said. &#8220Until we get these kids on an even playing field as everybody else, we are just going to be hanging by the seat of our pants, daily.”