Dale County coach McKnight may go home tomorrow

A day after a tragic accident that eventually claimed the life of head football coach Todd Horne, the news improved on another front Wednesday for those associated with Dale County High School.

The health of Chad McKnight, the boys basketball coach at Dale County injured in Tuesday’s accident, significantly improved and he was moved from the Intensive Care Unit to a private room at Flowers Hospital in Dothan.

Dale County Schools Superintendent Phillip Parker said the news could be even better today.

“I talked to his mother and he got up and walked around a bit and he might be able to go home as early as (Thursday),” Parker said around 4 p.m. Wednesday.

McKnight was seriously injured in a two-vehicle wreck at the intersection of U.S. 231 and Camilla Avenue in Ozark Tuesday around 1:50 p.m., suffering a fracture of the C1 (topmost) vertebrae and cuts on his neck and facial area.

Horne, Dale County’s head football coach the last two years, died Tuesday night from injuries sustained in the accident. Three other coaches — Phillip Locke, Matt Phillips and Drew Danner — were treated and released with minor injuries.

Ozark City Police Chief Tony Spivey said the Dale County coaches were traveling south on 231 in a 2005 GMC Truck driven by Horne. A 1974 Chevrolet C10 pickup driven by a 16-year-old male from Ariton was traveling west across the median when it collided with the truck driven by Horne, said Spivey.

Both Horne and McKnight were transported to Flowers after being treated at Dale County Medical Center. McKnight was initially considered in serious condition in the ICU unit before being upgraded Tuesday evening to stable condition.

Parker said McKnight was moved out of the ICU and into a room prior to lunch Wednesday.

“He is talking fine and seems to be doing quite well,” Parker said.

McKnight, like Horne, was ejected from the truck during the aftermath of the wreck, said Spivey, who also said the truck flipped two or three times after impact.

“He is very fortunate the best I can tell,” Parker said of McKnight’s health.

McKnight just completed his first year at Dale County and turned the Warriors around, taking over after a 3-15 season and guiding the team to a 16-12 record, the program’s first winning season this decade. The 16 wins were more than the previous six seasons combined.

Prior to joining Dale County, McKnight built the Geneva County girls basketball program into a Wiregrass force. In eight years, the Lady Bulldogs went 169-58 with six of the eight teams advancing to the Class 2A regional tournament in Troy. He guided the 2000 team to the state Final Four in Birmingham.