April 30, 2024
ALBERTVILLE – Birmingham-Southern’s Chris Graves is headed to Albertville.
The board voted unanimously Tuesday morning to appoint Graves as the head coach of the boys basketball program at Albertville High School.
“I would like to thank Superintendent Dr. Bart Reeves, Athletic Director Matt Lambert and Principal Jordan Phillips for this great opportunity,” said Graves. “I consider it an honor to be named the head basketball coach of this outstanding program.”
Graves has 21 years of coaching experience at the collegiate level, including 12 years at the helm of the Panthers program. He was named the head coach in 2011 after serving three seasons as an assistant coach. He led the Panthers to three regular season championships, two conference tournament championships, three NCAA tournament appearances and a regional appearance.
He was named the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) Coach of the Year and the Southern Athletic Association (SAA) Conference Coach of the Year twice. He coached two National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) All-Americans, eight NABC All-District players, four conference players of the year and 42 All-Conference players. He was also named the NABC South District Coach of the Year.
Upon learning about Birmingham-Southern’s closure and starting his job hunt, Graves said Albertville quickly rose to the top of his list of opportunities for several reasons.
“First was the leadership of the administration,” said Graves. “I have worked closely with (Superintendent) Dr. Bart Reeves, (Athletic Director) Matt Lambert and spent time with (Principal) Jordan Phillips in this process.”
“There is a real synergy in the purpose of the school and where basketball fits into the community. I want to invest in a place where there is a high commitment to quality basketball run by people I trust. I found that in Albertville City Schools, and I could not be more energized to get to work.”
Superintendent Dr. Bart Reeves expressed his confidence in Graves.
“We are thrilled to welcome Coach Graves to the Albertville High School community. His extensive coaching experience and commitment to developing student-athletes make him an exceptional addition to our team. We believe he will inspire our students to achieve their full potential and elevate the standard of excellence within our basketball program,” said Reeves.
Athletic Director Matt Lambert echoed similar sentiments, saying, “Bringing Coach Graves on board is a tremendous win for Albertville High School. His proven track record of success, coupled with his commitment to character development and academic achievement, makes him the ideal candidate to lead our basketball program. We’re excited to see the positive impact he will undoubtedly have on our student athletes.”
Prior to Birmingham-Southern, Graves coached at both the high school and NCAA Division I levels.
He was the architect of the greatest single-season turnaround in Pell City High School history, going from four wins in the 2006-2007 season to 24 wins during the 2007-2008 campaign. That season also marked the most wins in a season in Pell City High School history. He was named the St. Clair County Coach of the Year in 2008.
While at Pell City, Graves implemented a character education program for student-athletes. A high standard of excellence on the court, in the community and in the classroom are all cornerstones of his programs.
For three years, Graves averaged 20-plus wins at Columbia (Tenn.) Central High School, where he was twice named the District Coach of the Year in 2004 and 2005.
Prior to his time at Birmingham-Southern, Graves was an assistant coach at Tennessee State University from 2001-2003. From 1999-2001, he was a graduate assistant at the University of Arkansas for Basketball Hall of Fame honoree Nolan Richardson. The team won the Southeastern Conference (SEC) championship in 2000. He was also a student assistant coach at John Brown University from 1995-1999.
Graves is excited to rejoin the high school coaching ranks. He has a passion for helping young men develop as players and as people, which he believes the opportunity to do is at its peak during the high school years.
“I am in the coaching business because of the passion I have for assisting young men to lead excellent lives as students, players, husbands and fathers. In my 21 years of college coaching experience, the most important lesson I have learned is that the program will only be as good as the character, respect and discipline of the student-athletes within it,” said Graves.
“The opportunity to further develop and instill these values in our current generation of student athletes will continue to drive my pursuit of leading a program at the high school level.”
Graves, a native of Fort Worth, has a bachelor’s degree in education from John Brown University and a master’s degree in exercise physiology from the University of Arkansas. He and his wife, Dr. Merin Graves, have two sons, Bryce, 17, and Bo, 11. They also have a daughter, Avery, who is 6. Dr. Graves is an optometrist at the Birmingham VA Medical Center. Coach Graves and his family will be moving to Albertville this summer.
“I believe that this sport provides life’s greatest workshop and gives opportunities for men to learn lessons that help them become better future husbands, fathers and community leaders. I also love the unity and passion that good high school sports teams can bring to a community. There are few things better than a big Friday night game or a county tournament championship game to bring a community together.”
Players, families and community members are invited to meet the new coach in a reception tonight at 6:30 p.m. in the gym lobby at Albertville High School.
