MONTGOMERY – Opelika High School teacher and girls’ basketball coach Devin Booth has joined the Alabama High School Athletic Association Executive Staff as an Assistant Director, announced Alvin Briggs, Executive Director for the Alabama Athletic Association. She joined the staff July 12.
“I am truly excited to announce the addition of Devin Booth to the AHSAA Executive staff,” said Briggs. “She is an outstanding teacher and coach who has shown strong leadership throughout her career as a teacher, coach and administrator. She is an excellent addition to an already outstanding staff.”
Booth, 398-181, spent 21 years in teaching and coaching at the high school level. She has coached four sports during her career, including serving as girls’ varsity basketball, volleyball and golf coach and assistant athletic director during her tenure at Opelika from 2009-2021.
“I have enjoyed my time coaching and teaching in high school,” said Booth. “I am very humbled to have this opportunity with the AHSAA. It is a tremendous opportunity for me to find new and different ways to serve the student-athletes in a much bigger role. I have been very fortunate to play for some outstanding coaches, especially (Hall of Fame) Coach Creigh Purnell in high school and Wendall Barr in college. They taught me so much about the game of basketball and about coaching.”
Among her duties will be working with the Alabama High School Athletic Directors & Coaches Association (AHSADCA) as well as working directly with a number of championship sports including basketball, volleyball, softball, bowling and cheer. A 1996 graduate of Opp High School, she guided Opelika to the Class 6A State Tourney three straight years, 2017-18, 2018-19 and 2019-20. Her 2020 squad finished 27-7 overall falling in a tough 46-35 decision to state champion Hazel Green in the state semifinals, and her 2019 squad lost in the finals to Hazel Green.
Booth coached at Samson High School from 2006-2009 – guiding the Tigers to the Class 2A state title in 2007. While at Macon-East, she assisted coaching the team to an AISA state softball title in 2001 and coached the school’s junior high girls’ basketball team to the 2004 state crown. In the 2000-01 season, she served as an assistant coach at Huntingdon College, helping the women’s basketball team each the national finals.
Booth has coached in the AHSAA North-South All-Star basketball game (2003) and in the AISA All-Star game three times.
She served on the Opelika High School Faculty Advisory Committee, was the OHS Physical Education Department Head, served on the AHSAA Basketball Coaches Committee and is currently serving as vice president of the Alabama High School Athletic Directors & Coaches Association. She is completing a Master of Science degree in educational leadership at Auburn University this summer, earned her Bachelor of Science degree in human performance and kinesiology at Huntingdon College in 2000 and received an associate degree from Chattahoochee Valley Community College in 1998.
Booth was a member of the CVCC women’s basketball team and Huntingdon College women’s basketball team. Booth has also received several regional and state coach of the year honors during her coaching career.