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McDaniel

McDaniel headed to Sweet Water

By Michael Butler

It's official. Craig McDaniel has been hired as the head baseball coach at Sweet Water High School. McDaniel has been an assistant on the THS varsity staff for the past four years. He is a 2004 graduate of Tallassee.

"It's a fantastic opportunity. Sweet Water is a powerhouse in football. They've had some recent success in baseball. They've won the last two state championships," McDaniel said. "I hate to leave Tallassee, but this is a move that needs to be made."

With back-to-back titles, McDaniel realizes that the bar is set high.

"It is, but I welcome the opportunity. I've heard nothing but good things about the kids, the parents, the people at Sweet Water. I'm just looking forward to getting down there and getting to work."

This will be McDaniel's first head coaching job at the high school level, now at age 32. The Bulldogs are a Class 1A program in Southwest Alabama.

"There's about 30 kids in the baseball program," he said. "I think 28 of them are playing football."

The football team won the 2017 state championship and have ten titles in program history.

"Pat Thompson is the athletic director and head football coach. He's a great guy and will work with me. I'll find out when we're doing football workouts and work around that."

The former Tallassee Tigers and Faulkner Eagles pitcher, who worked with Tallassee's pitchers, will miss it.

"It's been a great time. I've enjoyed my time here. It's hard to leave home, a great school sytem and great town, but this is the right move for me."