E.A. Sports Today

McCoy tabbed new PV coach

Comes to PV from Ragland, got coaching start with his father at 18

By Al Muskewitz
East Alabama Sports Today

JACKSONVILLE — Pleasant Valley has named Ryan McCoy as its new boys basketball coach.

McCoy, Ragland’s girls basketball coach and assistant boys coach, was approved by the school board Thursday night, spoke to his Ragland players Friday and will meet his new charges later today.

“It’s an exciting opportunity for me,” McCoy said as he drove down a back road from Ragland to Pleasant Valley. “I can’t say enough good things about (the Ragland program). I left nine extraordinary young women, but when you put the draw of the boys job and putting a lot of other different things together, it’s an exciting time.”

He is the second Ragland coach this year moving to PV to coach a major sport. Jonathan Nix was hired as football coach earlier this year; Nix and McCoy were actually schoolmates together at West End.

Nix’ charge was to help bring the community together while building a consistent winning football program. McCoy’s charge will be more results oriented for a team that had won less than 10 games the last two seasons.

“I see him working hard to build our program and move it forward,” Pleasant Valley principal Mark Proper said. “We’re at a point with the basketball program we want to move forward.”

McCoy, 31, began coaching with his father Brent at Snead State at age 18. He coached the Ragland girls since 2011. He also coached the girls varsity team at Sardis and was the JV boys coach at Cleburne County.

He called the rebuilding job ahead a “tall task,” and of the area the Raiders play in he said “I don’t know you’ll find a tougher 3A area in North Alabama.” But he is ready to get to work.

“It’s going to be a big challenge, but I’ve always been one not scared of a challenge,” he said. “If we work hard, keep our head down and be disciplined we’ll be able to compete and put something together the community of Pleasant Valley will be proud with.”

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