Photo by Erin Nelson.
Joel Floyd, the new head basketball coach at Oak Mountain High School, in the school’s gym.
The Oak Mountain High School boys basketball program has always been on Joel Floyd’s radar.
When he was the head coach at Pelham, he competed against the Eagles regularly and gained a tremendous respect for the program. Over his last two years as an assistant coach at Spain Park, it became one of only a few jobs he would consider, given how much he enjoyed working alongside Jags head coach Chris Laatsch.
The timing worked out this spring, and Floyd was named the next head coach at Oak Mountain in late April. He takes over for Chris Love, who retired in March after 13 years leading the Eagles.
“I’m excited about the opportunity and thankful they decided to go with me,” Floyd said. “It’s a great fit for us. I know the community well and know the administration well and am excited about the opportunity to grow that program.”
Over the last seven years, Oak Mountain reached at least the regional final four times, including a state championship in 2021 and another final four appearance the year prior.
“They’ve had a heck of a lot of success over the last few years, so there are big shoes to fill with Coach Love stepping aside. But I’m excited about the chance to grow it some more,” Floyd said.
Floyd will have the benefit of stepping in at a top program at the peak of its power, instead of attempting to do something along the lines of reviving a once proud program.
“I’m really lucky in that regard,” he said. “A lot of times when you take over, you’re taking over things that may need to be fixed. But this is a program that’s been to the final four and an elite eight this last year. There are high expectations, and I want to continue to live up to those expectations.”
Floyd arrived at Pelham after four years teaching and coaching in the Dallas area. He started as an assistant and served as the head coach for 11 years before making the move to Spain Park.
Those two years with Laatsch were invaluable for Floyd, getting to be alongside one of the state’s top coaches. The Jags advanced to the state final four each season and won 27 games each year.
“It was a great learning and growing experience for me individually, to take a step aside to work with Coach Laatsch,” Floyd said. “He’s the best there is at culture building, so I’ve learned a lot from him in that regard. That’s something I’m going to try and instill into our program.”
One thing that won’t change in Floyd’s next stop as a head coach is the competitive edge with which he expects his team to play.
“I’m a very fierce competitor, so that’s something that I want my guys to be,” he said. “We’re going to compete relentlessly all the time, and we’re going to be a team that shares the ball and keeps it moving.”
Floyd said he can’t promise that championship banners will be raised every year he’s at Oak Mountain, but he’s eager to put in the necessary work to elevate his teams to their greatest potential.
“The kids already understand how to come in and work and really get after it,” he said.
