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Former Escambia Academy head football coach and headmaster Hugh Fountain passed away earlier this week at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas.

Fountain, an East Brewton native, coached at EA from 2012-2021; and at W.S. Neal from 2022-2025. He coached at Charles Henderson in Troy from 1996 until 2011. His second coaching job was at W.S. Neal for seven years after spending a year at Evergreen in 1988.

Fountain went 271-150 in 37 years as a head football coach.

“The entire EA family is heartbroken for Mrs. Susan and his family,” Headmaster Susie Kirk said. “Coach Fountain was a good man who impacted the lives of many, many young people. He will always hold a special place in the halls and hearts of Escambia Academy.”

Fountain helped coach EA to its first football state title in 2014, and added another in 2017.

Former EA linebackers coach Marquino Siler said Fountain was more than a coach to him.

“He was a father figure, my mentor,” Siler said. “He was someone that was always willing to listen and not judge. He will truly be missed on and off the field. Coach was the type of person if you ever met him, you will never forget him. I loved coach Fountain like he was my dad.”

EA head football coach Larry Nichols said Fountain had a big impact on his family, along with himself.

“From the first time we met in 2013 when we had a sit down and talked, we laughed for hours,” Nichols said. “I knew that night we had made a good decision by moving my son (Fred Flavors). Coach Fountain wasn’t all about football, he was concerned about making a difference for the kids.”

Nichols said Fountain was always the type that no matter the circumstance, he was going to help kids.

“He invited my son into his family like he was one of his sons, and he didn’t treat him any different,” he said. “I appreciate him for giving me the opportunity to do something that I thought I wasn’t going to ever be able to do again, and that’s coach.”

Nichols said Fountain took him under his wings, and showed him the ins and outs of the game of football.

“When the head coach job came up at EA, he was the first person I called because they wanted to give it to me,” he said. “But, I felt like I wasn’t ready yet. He told me, ‘Larry, you’ve been with me forever, and I can’t get you to come to Neal with me, and you know the game. I have all the faith in the world you are the man for the job, and you will be a perfect fit for them.’”

Nichols added that he’ll miss the early-morning phone calls or the late night calls talking about football, and how far they have come in the profession.

“I love you coach, and you will never know the impact you had on me and my family,” Nichols said.