Willie Scoggins

Willie Scoggins (born c. 1928 - died May 27, 2008 in Birmingham) was one of the most successful high school basketball coach in Alabama.

Scoggins graduated from Parker High School and then from Miles College before taking over the basketball program at Hayes High School in 1961. He coached the Pacesetters to the Class 4A championship in 1974, then transferred to Ramsay High School. He only had two losing seasons at Ramsay and retired in 2001 with a total of 861 career wins. (Parker's Cap Brown retired with 891

Scoggins was credited by Birmingham City Schools athletic director Bill Harris as one of the primary reasons that the racial integration of the system proceeded smoothly. He served on the first integrated board of the Alabama High School Athletic Association after it merged with the Alabama Interscholastic Athletic Association in 1968. Later he worked as an eligibility consultant for the city school system and became a director of Nike's Grassroots amateur basketball program. He was inducted into the Alabama High School Sports Hall of Fame in 1999.

Scoggins died in May 2008 after a long illness. He was survived by two daughters and one son. His funeral was held at Sixth Avenue Baptist Church.

References

• Norris, Toraine (May 28, 2008) "Legendary Birmingham basketball coach Willie Scoggins passes away." Birmingham News