By By Tim Cottrell
The resignation of Jason Allen as Athletic Director and Head Basketball Coach at Escambia Academy left the Cougars with a big vacancy to fill.
Luckily, they didn't have to look far to fill it.
Heath Gibson, who has spent five years at the school coaching in various sports, was named this week as Athletic Director to replace Allen.
"It's been very exciting," Gibson said. "I've been looking forward to taking on the challenge. When Coach Allen came to tell us he was leaving, I hoped I would get the opportunity to do this; and I was fortunate enough to get it and be able to work with some very great people."
Gibson, a graduate of Auburn University-Montgomery and a 1994 graduate of W.S. Neal High School in East Brewton, has had to wear a number of hats in his time at EA.
"I've been here five years, this will be my sixth," Gibson said. "This coming up year will be my third year as football coach. I was the head baseball coach for three years."
Gibson has also been an assistant coach, and this past year the head coach, of the Lady Cougar basketball team.
Gibson said he has only one goal for his new position, to maintain the program's high status among Alabama Independent School Association (AISA) schools.
"I just want to maintain our sports program and keep it going in the right direction," Gibson said. "We won the Chairman's Award for the top athletic program in AISA 2A this past week. That's a big honor for us and we plan on keeping it going in all sports."
One of Gibson's first tasks, however, will be someone to replace Allen as head basketball coach.
"We're in the process right now of looking for a basketball coach and an assistant football coach," he said. "That's our next step – to fill that job."