Felder returns
- Updated: April 28, 2025
Former Donoho coach with 21 seasons of head-coaching experience to return to Calhoun County to become Saks’ head football coach.
By Joe Medley
East Alabama Sports Today
Shannon Felder will be Saks High’s next head football coach. The Calhoun County School Board approved his hiring at a special-called meeting Monday.
Felder replaces Alphonso Freeney, who left after two seasons to join Jeremy Sullivan’s staff at Jacksonville.
Felder is 89-133 in 21 years as a head coach, including a 67-54 record in 11 seasons at Donoho. He also coached at Wilcox Central, Sumter Central, Talladega and Monroe County.
Felder led Donoho to the playoffs eight times and Talladega twice, in 2019 and 2020. He coached two seasons on Eddie Bullock’s Anniston staff between his time at Donoho and Sumter Central.
Saks principal Frederick Franklin sees Felder “just bringing a different mindset to the program.”
“His background was good, but just his current mindset as far as his philosophy about academics as well as athletics,” Franklin said. “It’s congruent to what we’re thinking, here at Saks High School.”
Felder’s hiring closes the loop on a chain of coaching changes that started when Ohatchee’s Chris Findley followed his wife’s career move to Texas. Blake Jennings, a former Ohatchee assistant, replaced Findley after two years as White Plains’ head coach, and Jacksonville’s Clint Smith moved to replace Jennings at White Plains.
Freeney joined up with Sullivan at Jacksonville, and Felder will replace Freeney.
Felder said he heard the Saks job was coming open from a coaching colleague.
“I’m happy to be heading back to the house,” he said. “We played against Saks when I was at Anniston, and I want to say we did when I was at Talladega. Saks has always had a good program.
“I wanted to be part of a football team where they had a little tradition of having a fairly decent football team. Coach (Clint) Smith done well there, and Coach (Jonathan) Miller done well there. I think the new coach (Freeney) was trying to rebuild. They were 1-9 the first year then 2-8, which tells me they’re making improvements. It’s a good opportunity for me to come in and build on what Coach Freeney has done.”
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