BY HARRISON TARR
FOR THE OBSERVER

The Auburn High School football program has ascended to near-championship level in the seven-A ranks; the Tigers earned a trip to the state title game in 2020 and returned to the semifinals in 2021. Between the offensive showcases and the defensive dominance across the past two seasons, fans in Auburn, Alabama, believe their team is destined for greatness.

Defensive coordinator Scott Goolsby’s recognition as the Broyles Award assistant coach of the year serves as a testament to just that.

“It’s definitely an honor,” Goolsby said. “Being associated with the Broyles Award is just crazy to think about.”

Over the course of the past two years, Goolsby has been the orchestrator of a dominant defensive unit, allowing the Tiger offense to outscore opponents by a combined 853-392 and posting an overall record of 21-5 dating back to fall of 2020.

Despite the visible results on the field, the defensive coordinator does not view himself as the elite coach most regard him as being.

“I don’t think of myself as a Broyles Award winner or as even one of the top coaches in the state,” Goolsby said. “I just don’t think of myself like that.”

As most elite coaches do, Goolsby accredits his success to what he describes as an exceptional culture to coach in.

“I’ve just been lucky,” Goolsby said. “We’ve got good players. We’ve got really good coaches. I’ve worked for great head coaches.”

The defensive mind has coached alongside two different head coaches over the course of the past two seasons: Adam Winegarden and Keith Etheredge. After developing the defense to fit his own scheme under Winegarden, he has been grateful for the continued opportunities granted to him by Etheredge.

“We’ve got a good one now in coach Etheredge,” Goolsby said. “He just lets me do my job. He’s a great guy to work for. He does not handicap you at all, he trusts me and all the other coaches and he just wants us to do a good job.”

According to the coordinator, the transition to the Etheredge era was as smooth as it could have possibly been.

“It was an adjustment, just going from one head coach to another,” Goolsby said. “He made it so easy in that he didn’t really bother us or ask us — on defense — to change anything. If we needed something he did his best to try to help us out. It was really not as big of an adjustment as you might think.”

Now an award-winning coach, Goolsby is appreciative of both the personal and professional situation he operates within.

“I’ve been lucky,” Goolsby said. “Got a good family, got good players, got good coaches. I just got blessed to be in this spot really.”

Goolsby’s appreciation for his school and the Auburn community expands far beyond the painted lines of the football field.

“I love it,” Goolsby said. “I was telling somebody the other day, I don’t even know how to put it into words. It’s a great school, it’s a great community, it’s a great place for my kids to go to school, a great place for my wife to teach and we continuously get great players.”

While receiving the honor of assistant coach of the year from the Broyles Award is obviously something to be proud of, Goolsby continues to chase his biggest professional goal, bringing a state championship to Auburn, Alabama.

“I want to be a part of the first state championship in history,” Goolsby said.

Nothing is certain in the world of high school football — however — it is difficult to imagine a reality in which Goolsby does not continue to leave his legacy on the Auburn High School football program and within the community.