Kisor in with Faith
- Updated: December 23, 2019
Lions’ basketball coach starts a teaching job in Pell City in January, will see season to conclusion; includes previous material
By Al Muskewitz
East Alabama Sports Today
Justin Kisor will be returning to the Faith Christian basketball team for the remainder of the season.
Come the first of the year Kisor will be teaching at a new school in a different county. Whether he’s still the basketball coach at Faith Christian for the rest of the season remains to be seen.
Kisor confirmed to East Alabama Sports Today Saturday he is leaving Faith to become a middle school physical education teacher in Pell City with the possibility of becoming the head volleyball coach at the high school next fall.
He would like to finish out the current basketball season with the Faith varsity, which is 7-4 and 2-2 in its area, but that is uncertain at this hour.
On Monday he was back in his coaching position, preparing the Lions for their Glencoe Holiday Shootout opener against Fort Payne Thursday.
“I’m glad it worked out,” he said. “Just excited to get two months with my boys even though it was my decision to leave. I’ve built some great relationships.”
Faith headmaster Chip Jones explained Monday it was all a “miscommunication” in part due to his absence following a surgery “but we got it worked out.” He said a long-term substitute has been arranged for Kisor’s teaching assignment when he moves to Pell City, but the coaching replacements are “to be determined.” He also is the school’s head volleyball coach.
Kisor said Pell City agreed to let him coach the Lions to the basketball season’s conclusion and that was his understanding with Faith even as late as its Thursday game with Piedmont, but that doesn’t appear to be the case now.
“Right now I don’t know what I’m going to do yet,” he said. “It wasn’t my decision. … I don’t want to leave my guys like that.”
The Lions are in the post-Christmas Glencoe Holiday Shootout starting Dec. 26. If a coaching change is imminent in the program, Kisor’s last game with the Lions was Friday night against Victory Christian.
It is not immediate known who would replace Kisor as head coach, either assistant coach Chai Cowser or someone from the outside. Cowser has directed the junior high team to a winning record this season and played Spring Garden and White Plains hard in close losses.
If the definitive word of his ouster comes down during the weekend Kisor plans to call an emergency meeting with his players Monday to share it with them.
In his three years at Faith, Kisor has served as athletics director, volleyball coach and boys basketball coach. His volleyball team reached the state semifinals in 2018 and he continues to play the sport in adult leagues while coaching on the club level. He is getting married in May.
“The opportunity to coach volleyball in 6A is something I’d jump on in a heartbeat,” Kisor said. “I feel like that’s where I’m supposed to be. I hate that it’s so abrupt. My intentions were to finish basketball and start teaching in January.”
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