AHSAA Super 7 football championships: What college coaches were in attendance?
Texas coach Steve Sarkisian and Clemson coach Dabo Swinney returned to their old stomping grounds this week. Swinney, a former Alabama football wide receiver, was among the college football celebrities spotted in attendance at the AHSAA 7A state championship in Bryant-Denny Stadium on Wednesday night. Sarkisian, who served as Alabama's offensive coordinator in 2019 and 2020, was seen at the 6A championship on Friday, as was Auburn coach Hugh Freeze.
The NCAA contact period started on Friday, Dec. 2, and runs through Dec. 16. During this period, communication between prospective athletes and coaches is permitted, so coaches tend to use the opportunity to see their potential future players perform in playoff and championship environments.
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The Class 7A championship matchup between Central-Phenix City and Thompson featured a plethora of talented recruits, including 2024 five-star wide receiver Cam Coleman (Central, Auburn commit), 2025 four-star defensive back Anquon Fegans (Thompson, uncommitted) and 2024 three-star defensive back Rydarrius Morgan (Central, Alabama commit).
The Class 6A final between Saraland and Clay-Chalkville was also flushed with talent, featuring 2024 five-star athlete Jaylen Mbakwe (Clay-Chalkville, Alabama commit), 2025 four-star quarterback K.J. Lacey (Saraland, Texas commit) and 2025 five-star wide receiver Ryan Williams (Saraland, Alabama commit).
Swinney wasn't the only college football celebrity in attendance for the 7A game. Heisman finalist Bo Nix was seen visiting with his high school teammate and current Alabama cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry on Central's sideline. Nix's father, Patrick, is the head coach at Central-Phenix City. McKinstry was also spotted on Clay's sideline after the Cougars won the 6A final on Friday.
Here are the coaches that were seen in Bryant-Denny Stadium during the week:
Dabo Swinney, Clemson head coach
Steve Sarkisian, Texas head coach
Hugh Freeze, Auburn head coach
Jon Sumrall, Troy head coach (now at Tulane)
Aaron James, Tuskegee head coach
Carnell "Cadillac" Williams, Auburn associate head coach/running backs coach
Zac Alley, Jacksonville State defensive coordinator
Blake McCall, Jacksonville State strength coach
Philip Montgomery, Auburn offensive coordinator
Marcus Davis, Auburn wide receivers coach
Josh Aldridge, Auburn linebackers coach
Garrett Riley, Clemson offensive coordinator
Mickey Conn, Clemson safeties coach
A.J. Milwee, Texas co-offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach
Greg Knox, Mississippi State director of career and professional development, interim head coach in 2023
Alex Mortensen, UAB offensive coordinator
Eddie Gordon, UAB offensive line coach
Reilly Jeffers, UAB tight ends coach
Kurt Kennedy, Samford offensive tackles/tight ends coach
DeMarco McNeil, Tuskegee defensive line coach
Maxwell Donaldson contributed to this report. This story will be updated.
This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Which college football coaches attended the AHSAA Super 7?
