Carver-Birmingham football coach Rod Carson is leaving to accept an out of state coaching position.
During his six seasons at the school, Carson led the Rams to the 2017 playoffs — their first since 2003. The year also marked Carver's first winning season since 2003.
Carson made the announcement on social media.
"…To the current and former players the experience was amazing," Carson wrote. "Carver was everything they said it wasn’t going to be. I loved coming to see you young men daily. We didn’t always have the numbers but I wouldn’t have chose a different group young men to lead. I’m not going to count the scholarships we signed but we know it was up there. So many good memories with you guys. It was truly a brotherhood..."
Carver started summer workouts last week and Carson told his team about the move.
"They were more excited for me than sad," Carson said. "We strive to get better and move on, and they understood that."
Carson was a punter at Gardendale, graduating in 2004, and played football at New Mexico State under offensive guru Hal Mumme. Carson was an assistant coach at Bessemer City along with stops in Tennessee and New Mexico.
His first head coaching job came at Carver, where he inherited a program that had won eight games in the previous eight seasons, including four winless seasons. Carson won 26 games during his six seasons, suffering only two losing seasons.
Carson also founded the Minority Coaches Association of Alabama four years ago after attending events sponsored by a similar group in Georgia. The purpose of the organization is to network and for professional development and education on how to coach minority athletes.
The MCAA sponsored both a football conference and a head coaches academy in 2019. The 2020 football conference featured Kansas coach Les Miles, UAB coach Bill Clark and Tennessee coach Jeremy Pruitt along with others.
The MCAA also pioneered Zoom video clinics during the offseason with coaches like Alabama's Nick Saban and Oklahoma's Lincoln Riley.
Carson spoke about the recent protests spurred by the killing of George Floyd by Minnesota police.
"We're in very trying times," Carson said. "The voices have to be heard and that's the first thing we have to address.
"Let's not confuse peaceful protesting with looting and rioting. When (Colin Kaepernick) took a knee, that was a peaceful protest. A lot of people didn’t like it, but when (President Donald Trump) took time to address the issue, that was a huge statement that it made him take time out of his presidential schedule to address it. Whether it was wrong or not, it opened eyes.
"We all want to hear a message on how the issues will be addressed and what direction we will go as country from there."
Other local high school coaches active in the MCAA include, Ramsay's Rueben Nelson, Pleasant Grove's Darrell LeBeaux, Parker's Frank Warren and Fairfield's Keon Handley.
Many other coaches have lent time and expertise, like Thompson's Mark Freeman.
“He has done our events and helped a lot,” Carson said. “He’s somebody who really gets it.”