MONDAY, APRIL 17, 2023
Coach Ronnie Stapler is announcing his retirement. He closes his AHSAA Hall of Fame career
after 53 seasons at 4 different schools. He finishes as the 3rd All-time winningest coach in
AHSAA history with 868 wins at Grissom, Guntersville, Randolph, and Westminster Christian.
“I’m thankful for all the great players, loyal assistant coaches, supportive administrators,
parents, and fans that have made coaching a pleasure for me. Being a basketball coach is all
that I ever wanted to do, and I hope that my enthusiasm and passion have helped people along
the way. I’m also thankful that I am still in very good health. I look forward to spending more
time with my wife and family. I have 5 grandchildren that are all very good athletes and will all
be playing sports in middle or high school. It’s important to me that I am able to spend time
helping them and watching them compete. I also plan to stay involved helping coaches and
programs grow the game that I love through the Alabama Basketball Academy.
“I am proud of what we accomplished on the court with the wins and Championships, but I
cherish the friendships that I have today as a result of coaching. It has truly been a blessing
and I am humbled and grateful.”

RONNIE STAPLER CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
868 CAREER WINS
3 AHSAA STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS
4 AHSAA STATE RUNNER-UPS
12 AHSAA ELITE 8 APPEARANCES
9 AHSAA FINAL FOUR APPEARANCES
23 Area Championships
3X AHSAA State Coach of the Year
2X Coach of the Alabama State All-Star Team (1999 & 2016)
Coached 2 Alabama Mr. Basketball winners (Marvin Stone & Chris White)
Coached 4 AHSAA Players of the Year (Jay Scherer (6A), Marvin Stone (6A), Chris White (6A),
Trey Petty (4A), Auston Leslie (4A),
MEMBER ALABAMA HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS HALL OF FAME
MEMBER HUNTSVILLE/MADISON COUNTY ATHLETIC HALL OF FAME