Holt Football Coach Dustin Hyche Out After Two Seasons

HOLT, AL — Holt High School football coach Dustin Hyche on Monday confirmed to Tuscaloosa Patch that he has resigned as the Ironmen's football coach after just two seasons.

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Hyche posted a 2-18 mark during his time at Holt, with the Ironmen outscored 819-161 over two years and finishing o-10 this last season.

Historically, the job is arguably one of the most difficult in west Alabama high school football, as the Ironmen have not posted a winning season since 1998 or won more than three games in a single season since 2005.

"I want to thank the Holt family for giving me the opportunity to lead the Ironmen over these past two football seasons," Hyche said in a statement Monday. "Returning the Ironmen to glory has always been a dream of mine, and I feel as though we have worked tirelessly toward that goal since day one. We've brought in sponsorships and experienced coaches, modernized our facilities, and generated excitement about the football program."

A University of Alabama graduate and one-time native of Brookwood, Hyche had previous assistant coaching and teachings stops at Sipsey Valley High School and Aliceville High School, before coming to Holt ahead of the 2021-22 school year.

Despite the dismal win-loss record, Hyche said he had been excited at the possibility for a third year in the job with 21 starters returning next year.

Hyche did lament that he would "no longer have the opportunity to lead the program," but told Patch that he understood the pitfalls of an administration change, considering Holt High School Principal Luther Riley — the principal who hired Hyche — resigned in February after only eight months on the job, as Patch previously reported.

He also praised Riley's replacement, Daniel Dickens, and said he respected the new principal's decision to do what he thought was best to improve athletics at the school.

"While I personally feel it is difficulty to grow a program and reestablish a standard of excellence in only 16 months, I feel the school is headed in the right direction under the exceptional leadership of Dr. [Daniel] Dickens," he said. "I believe he has a plan to help this school take the next step forward. While I am disappointed that I am not a part of that plan, I am excited to see the positive trajectory that Holt is on because the people in the Holt community are incredible and deserve nothing but the best."

Holt now presents the third coaching job to open up with the close of the regular season, as Tuscaloosa City Schools is also looking to fill its top jobs at Paul W. Bryant High and Central High School.

Patch has contacted the Tuscaloosa County School System for a statement following the announcement of Hyche's resignation and will update this story with any additional details as they come in.

The next regular meeting of the Tuscaloosa County Board of Education is set for Nov. 14.

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