ISABELLA – Scott Booth left Isabella after taking the football team to the state playoff semifinals in 2002.

Neither coach nor school has had as much success since.

Booth is back at Isabella—he was approved as the Mustangs’ athletic director and football coach at a special meeting of the Chilton County Board of Education on Thursday—hoping to recreate the glory days they shared together.

“We had some talent that year, but, overall, we just had guys that wanted to play, that played together,” Booth said about the semifinal run. “That’s what it’s going to take. Everybody’s got to be pulling for everybody else—and not just the football team.

“That’s going to be our goal, and I want these guys thinking that way.”

Booth takes over for Lanny Jones, who compiled a 15-17 record in three seasons.

After leaving Isabella, Booth was named the first football coach of the Paul Bryant High School program. He coached at Paul Bryant, located in his native Tuscaloosa, for five seasons.

Booth then coached at Highland Home for two seasons.

“I’m really glad to be back,” Booth said. “This community and this school were great to me the first time I was here. This is like my family’s second home.”

Booth said he would spend Friday fleshing out his coaching staff, and the team would begin spring practice on Monday.

A spring scrimmage will be held at 1 p.m. on May 20, and IHS principal Ricky Porter encouraged community members to attend to show their support of the program and its new coach.

“I’ve known coach Booth a long time,” Porter said. “We go back to when he first came into the county.

“I know the kind of person he is. He represents all the core values that I would like to have as our athletic director and football coach.”