Georgiana athletic director and head boys and girls basketball coach and Opp High School graduate Kirk Norris was named Class 1A-7A Athletic Director of the Year by the Alabama High School Athletic Directors and Coaches Association at the Alabama High School Athletic Association’s Championship Coaches Awards Banquet in Montgomery on Friday night.

“I think I’m still a little in shock that I got,” Norris said. “It was very exciting and I’m very appreciative to receive the award.”

Norris said he knew he was receiving and award, but didn’t know which one.

“They called me back in June and told me that I won an award that would be presented at the Championship Coaches banquet,” Norris said. “When I got up there, I thought they were going to do the award by classification, but I think that’s what really floored me was that it was all classifications 1A-7A. It’s just such a big honor.”

Norris is heading into his 10th year as a coach at Georgiana and his seventh year as the athletic director.

“To me, it’s a reflection of our whole school system and especially our coaching staff,” Norris said of the award. “It’s truly an honor for me to receive this award, but it’s because of the all the coaches that are doing things right that make it possible. I couldn’t do it without them.”

The administration at Georgiana was something else Norris credited the award to.

“Ever since I’ve been at Georgiana, we have had great administration,” Norris said. “They have always been great supporters of the athletic program, and we you have great support like that it makes it easy to do a good job.”

Norris also said that the players in the school system make it easy to succeed.

“We’ve got some great athletes and kids that give it everything they have and are out there doing the right thing,” Norris said. “We had a Bryant-Jordan winner this year in Richard Boggan, and that’s the first time that has happened in our county school system. When you have players like that it’s easy to make me look good as the AD. It’s not just me it’s the whole program. It’s everything rolled into one that makes this program successful.”

Norris was also named Class 1A Coach of the Year by the Alabama Sports Writers Association for the second year. Norris led Georgiana to the state finals for the second time since 2012, and a 30-2 record. The 30 wins set a school record for victories.

Overall, four the five school’s athletic teams reached the state playoffs in 2015-16.