Dothan’s Goodson going home to Ariton

Terry Goodson is returning home.

The Dothan High head boys basketball coach of the last three years was hired Thursday night by the Dale County School Board as the head boys basketball
coach at his alma mater, Ariton.

“It is my hometown,” Goodson said of the move. “My parents and my brother still live there. Both me and my wife (Caren) are Ariton graduates. We are both Purple Cats.

“It is out in the country and we wanted to get back to the country. We are both excited to be going back home.”

Goodson will also serve as a physical education teacher at Ariton and be an assistant coach for junior high football and an assistant coach to his brother, Jerry, for the softball team.

With Goodson’s departure, Dothan High will have new head coaches for all three major boys sports the upcoming year — football, basketball and baseball. Football coach Jim Scible and baseball coach Dirk Williams were relieved of those duties. Scible has since been replaced by Kelvis White. The baseball job remains open.

The Ariton job brings Goodson back full swing from his first job — as a science teacher, assistant basketball and assistant softball coach at Ariton for half a year after graduating from college.

He then coached for five years at Dale County High School, serving as junior varsity basketball coach and assistant varsity coach.
Goodson’s career, though, is mostly known for his basketball coaching jobs at G.W. Long and at Dothan.

He spent 10 years at G.W. Long, building the Rebel boys program into a competitive small-school force. Eight of his 10 teams earned 15 or more wins, highlighted by four teams that won 20 or more. Three teams, including his last two, reached the regional tournament in Troy.

During his final three years at Long, the Rebels went 63-18 with the 2002-03 team — his last one at Skipperville — winning a school-record 25 games against seven losses.

Goodson left Long to become an assistant coach at Dothan under Wiregrass Hall of Fame coach Jim Golden. He served two years under Gooden before being named the head coach on Aug. 9, 2005 following Golden’s retirement.

The Tigers amassed a 52-31 record in the three years under Goodson, including a 20-8 record this past winter. Dothan also reached the regional tournament, losing to eventual state champion LeFlore.

Goodson was also the tennis coach of Dothan’s girls and boys programs.

Dale County Superintendent Phillip Parker said being able to hire Goodson is an exciting moment for those in Purple Cat country. Goodson coached with Parker at Dale County when Parker was the head football coach.

“We have tried several times after he left Long to get him to come back, and this opportunity finally come up,” Parker said. “We tried to get him back for jobs at Ariton and Long previously. We are glad to get him back in any of our schools.

“Ariton basketball has been down, but he built Long’s program and I think he will do the same at Ariton. He is a hard worker, and he brings a lot of experience and knowledge of the game. I know Ariton is excited about getting Terry back home. He will build a winner.”

For Goodson, leaving Dothan means leaving behind a lot of friends.

“I want to thank coach Golden for giving me the opportunity to come here,” Goodson said. “He has been a great friend. I also want to thank coach (Jamie) Kelley, who was athletic director at the time, for hiring me.

“Coach Kelley, coach Williams and I have been in the same office the whole time and we have been great friends. All three of them have been with me every step of the way, and I appreciate what they have done for me.

“I appreciate everything Mr. (Andrew) Sewell and Dr. (Sam) Nichols have done,” added Goodson, referring to Dothan’s principal and superintendent. “They have been great to me. I met a lot of great friends at Dothan and a lot of great kids.”

He also expressed hope that the Dothan sports programs will continue to thrive.

“I really wish coach White and everybody at Dothan well,” Goodson said. “I believe coach White will do a great job. He has been nothing but classy to me.”
Goodson said he would particularly miss the game atmosphere at Jon Davis Gym.

“Dothan is a great basketball school, one of the greatest basketball programs in high school,” Goodson said. “It was always exciting to be at a game there. I
was glad I could be a part of it.”