Posey chosen as new head football coach at St. James

Neal Posey has been named the new head football coach at St. James, succeeding Jimmy Perry. (Tim Gayle)

By TIM GAYLE

There was little suspense as head of school Dr. Larry McLemore spoke on the new head football coach at St. James.

After all, Neal Posey was born for this position.

The school announced on Tuesday morning that Posey would be promoted from offensive coordinator, replacing the retiring Jimmy Perry as the Trojans’ head football coach.

 “We had quite a few applications,” McLemore said. “We had at least one real quality application from out of state, several from in the state. When we began the search, Neal was the leading candidate. Through the process, he stayed the leading candidate. It was very clear he was the man to keep this program moving forward and strong.

 “What impresses me the most about Neal is his balance of everything. He is a leader, he knows football, he in incredibly smart, he has a really, really insightful offensive mind, he cares about the boys and he really lives those Trojan values of character, commitment, courage and community. It’s the balance of all those qualities that you’re looking for.”  

The 31-year-old Posey will become only the fourth coach at the school since 1997. Perry served the last 11 years as the Trojans’ head coach. 

“It’s a blessing,” Posey said. “I didn’t know if it would come in eight years or 15 or 20 years, but I’m glad it’s today. This has been a goal of mine. I love it at St. James, I love the family, I love the community. My wife (Mallory) loves the family of St. James. That’s why I’ve never ventured off. It’s just amazing to be here.”

While it will be his first job as a head coach, it’s a profession he’s known all of his life. Posey’s grandfather, his namesake, coached basketball at Huntingdon College from 1957 to 1979 and is one of the coaching legends in the state. Posey’s father, Terry, coached basketball at Jeff Davis from 1999 to 2018 and was responsible for getting his son started in the profession.

“At one time, when he was in school, he was going to be a physical trainer,” Terry Posey said. “I think I messed him up by getting him to coach with me at Jeff Davis. He said, ‘Dad, I think I want to get into coaching.’ I said, ‘Man, I’ve ruined him.’”

Terry Neal Posey Jr. was a three-sport standout at quarterback, guard and pitcher for Macon East Academy in 2005-08 for Glynn Lott. Of course, Lott knew the reputation of Posey’s grandfather and father, but saw the same genes in his quarterback.  

“You could tell he was a coach’s son,” Lott said. “He knew all the little things. He was a leader and he knew your offense inside and out and he was just a competitor. He was a little ‘ole skinny thing, but he was a competitor.”

Posey followed the family legacy by attending Huntingdon in 2009 and was a quarterback for the Hawks from 2010-12 under head coach Mike Turk.

“He had played at Macon East and my oldest son Jimbo was going to Macon East, so I’ve been watching him play for quite a while,” Turk said. “He’s got a lot of great qualities -- very humble, very even keeled. The thing that always amazed me when he was playing for us is he never got flustered, even when I was flustered, when everyone else was flustered. Obvious, that’s a great quality for a quarterback to have. He’s one of the smartest guys I’ve ever coached. I’m not surprised he’s ended up where he’s at. I’m awful proud of him.”

It was in 2010 that Terry asked his son to help coach the Jeff Davis boys’ basketball team. Posey worked in that sport from 2010-15 and after graduating from Huntingdon also coached football at Trinity in 2013 and 2014. He gave up both when he arrived at St. James in the fall of 2015.

“While he was in school at Huntingdon, he was my assistant at Jeff Davis,” Terry Posey said. “He’s been coaching for quite a while. After graduating from Huntingdon, he got his master’s degree and was still coaching with me and was also coaching over at Trinity as an offensive coordinator. When he did his student teaching at St. James, they liked him so much they kept him. And he’s been there ever since.”

Lott never gave up on trying to get Posey to return to his alma mater as an assistant coach, but it never happened.

“I’ve called Neal every year he has been at St. James and tried to hire him and he will not leave,” Lott said. “I’ve called him every summer for 10 years. I think they really like him and I think they’ve groomed him for that job.”

Publicly, Perry offered no recommendation on his successor, but he has always spoken favorably of Posey.

“He is ultra-organized,” Perry said. “He doesn’t get too high, he doesn’t get too low. He gives a very calming effect, a very head coach effect. He’s very calm, calculating, thinks before he speaks.

“He’s got going to make a mistake that coaches shouldn’t make because of the things he’s seen growing up with his granddad being Neal Posey and his dad being Terry Posey. He’s not going to make the mistakes that a lot of young head coaches make. He’s going to be a very seasoned young coach, if there is such a thing.”

Perry was there for the announcement on Tuesday as athletic director Katie Barton and McLemore announced their decision on the Trojans’ next football coach.

“I just want to commend Larry and Katie,” Perry said. “They made the perfect choice. He’s brilliant, the kids love him, they’ll play hard for him. He’s a great student of the game, not afraid of hard work. Neal is the deal. I couldn’t have been more proud if my own son got the job.”

 Posey’s first task will be to replace his position on the coaching staff. After that, he doesn’t plan on changing too much.

“Hopefully, it looks a lot like a Jimmy Perry team,” Posey said. “Jimmy Perry’s teams were always well coached, well disciplined, they played hard on the field and were very tough. If my team looks like that, I’ll be very honored for my players and for me.”

While the family pedigree always seemed to point Neal Posey toward a career as a basketball coach, Terry Posey has spent several Fridays at Carlisle Field watching the Trojans and offers some insight on his son’s football coaching career.

“He’s a pretty good coach in football,” Terry Posey said. “He’s got a really good mind, sees things and remembers things really well. That’s a gift that not everybody has.”