Iola Baylor
Iola B.T. Baylor (born June 27, 1933; died June 28, 2009) coached girl's volleyball and basketball at Brighton High School.
Baylor was a graduate of Dunbar High School and Talladega College. She began teaching in 1956 and worked at a total of six schools. She spent most of her career at Brighton, coaching girl's volleyball, basketball, track and cheerleading. Her Lady Bears basketball and volleyball teams combined for a record of 151-51 during her tenure. Her basketball teams played in the state 1A finals in 1986, 1987 and 1989.
Baylor was one of the first women to serve as a high school athletic director in Alabama. She was named the state girl's basketball Coach of the Year in 1989 and was inducted into the Alabama High School Sports Hall of Fame in 1993. She retired in 1994.
Known also for her lifelong devotion to community service, Baylor was active in outreach through Allen Temple AME Church and Alpha Kappa Alpha.
Baylor died from cancer in June 2009 and is buried at Highland Memorial Gardens. She was survived by her husband Arthur, three children and six grandchildren.
References
- "Iola Baylor" obituary (July 2, 2009) Birmingham News
- Stock, Erin (July 19, 2009) "Jefferson County, Alabama coach Iola Baylor taught lessons for living life." Birmingham News