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By Carey Reeder | Managing Editor

Chilton County High School kept their hire for their head baseball coach opening close to home bringing back former player Justin Veazey to take over the program.

Veazey is a 2009 graduate of CCHS and played baseball for the program during his high school years. Veazey has spent the last three seasons as head baseball coach at Marbury High School.

Veazey will be taking over for Ryan Ellison and was introduced to the players, parents and fans at a meet and greet at Jack Hayes Field in Clanton on Aug. 1.

“I would say it is definitely a job I would be interested in if it ever opened up. Coach Ellison has been here since before I started coaching, so he has been here a while and done a great job,” Veazey said. “It has been in the back of my mind and in my heart the last few years for sure. I have obviously had awesome opportunities elsewhere, but now that it was open and for me to be here is awesome, and it is a dream job in a sense.”

Veazey got his coaching career started in Clanton coaching the middle school team before moving to the college ranks to be an assistant at Enterprise State Community College under coach Bubba Frichter. He said he has pulled certain things from numerous coaches he has been around during his playing and coaching days that he uses within his philosophy for a program. Veazey added that the key in coaching is having resources, and he has those at his disposal to help him build on the culture at CCHS.

“Tradition here is obviously winning,” Veazey said. “I am excited to keep doing that, and I want to grow the program all the way down (to the youth teams) … I am not going to come in here and try to paint anything pink, we all bleed orange and blue. Anything that is already here is good, and I am trying to keep that but just make it better.”

A blue-collar mentality and doing the right thing on and off the baseball field are among the things Veazey mentioned he wants his players to hang their hats on. The veteran coach added that the talent level at CCHS has always been there, and he is excited to get the opportunity to coach it.

Veazey will also be on Marvin Morton’s CCHS football coaching staff coaching safeties this fall.