Josh DonaldsonBy Rubin E. Grant
Josh Donaldson added another state championship to his coaching resume in the spring when he guided the Homewood Patriots to the boys Class 6A title.
But Donaldson wasn’t content just being a successful high school track coach.
After 11 years at Homewood High School, including the past six as the Patriots’ head cross-country coach and the past four years as head track and field coach, Donaldson is taking a higher position.
He was hired in June as Spain Park’s new athletic director and took over officially on July 1.
“I’ve always wanted to get into athletic administration, and when the job opened up, I decided to get my feet in the door and see how it goes,” Donaldson said. “I felt good about everything and it worked out.”
Donaldson replaces Patrick Kellogg, who retired from Spain Park.
Donaldson graduated from Homewood in 2008, obtained his bachelor’s degree in math and biology from the University of Alabama and a master’s in education from UAB.
As an athlete and coach, he was a part of 33 state championship teams and 17 state runner-up teams at Homewood. As head coach, he led Homewood’s cross-country and track and field teams to six state titles.
Donaldson also served in various event planning and leadership capacities at the Knight Eady and Show Choir Nationals event groups.
“It was definitely a hard decision to leave Homewood,” Donaldson said. “It’s bittersweet, but I’m looking forward to the opportunity I have at Spain Park. Spain Park has a great athletic program and I want to help them continue the excellence that is already there and work with the coaches and the administration.”
Spain Park Principal Amanda Esslinger considers Donaldson a great fit, noting his success in the classroom as a teacher as well as a coach.
Donaldson was the 2020-21 Homewood City Schools Secondary Teacher of the Year and grew Homewood’s Advanced Placement biology program from four students to 80 students while maintaining a 71% pass rate for the AP biology exam.
“This is quite remarkable because the state’s pass rate for the AP biology exam is 54%,” Esslinger said. “In addition to his obvious athletic and academic accolades, coach Donaldson is a true servant leader with strong leadership, organizational skills and character.
“We are happy to welcome him to Spain Park to help our student-athletes, teachers, coaches and athletic programs grow and succeed.”
Lamey Named Hoover AD
Hoover also will have a new athletic director. Harley Lamey was hired recently to replace Andy Urban, who left in the spring to become Mountain Brook’s athletic director.
Lamey spent the past two years at Hoover as the Bucs’ assistant athletic director and head wrestling coach, getting to coach his son, Jack. Before arriving at Hoover, Lamey coached at Vestavia Hills for four years and 15 years at Piedmont before that.
“I’m so thankful to the administration that believed in me, the board and Dr. (Dee) Fowler (Hoover schools superintendent), to allow me to serve in this position,” Lamey said after taking over as the Bucs’ athletic director.
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