Danny Petty
Class of 1997
Danny Petty’s impact on Huntsville basketball spans decades—as a player, teacher and one of the most successful high school coaches in Alabama history.
Petty first made his mark as a player at Lee High School, where he was a key member of coach Jerry Dugan’s 1968 state championship team. In the championship tournament, Petty delivered one of the most memorable moments in school history by scoring the winning basket in Lee’s victory over Tuscaloosa. His performance earned him Most Valuable Player honors for the tournament. Petty was also named first-team All-City and selected to play for the North squad in the Alabama High School All-Star Game.
Following high school, Petty continued his basketball career at Snead State Community College, where he was named team MVP in 1970. He later played at Athens State College and served as team captain during the 1972 season.
Petty soon turned to coaching and began building an extraordinary career on the sidelines. His first major success came at Davis Hills Middle School, where he coached from 1972 to 1980 and captured six city championships. He later became head coach at Johnson High School from 1981 to 1991, compiling a 180–97 record. His teams won four city championships, two area titles and reached the Final Four three times. In 1987 Johnson captured the state championship and finished the season ranked No. 24 nationally. That same year Petty was named AHSAA Class 6A Coach of the Year.
Petty later coached at Hazel Green High School, Lincoln County High School in Tennessee and Madison Academy, where his teams captured numerous championships, including the 2006 Alabama state title. In doing so, Petty became the first coach in Alabama history to win state championships at three different schools.
He later continued his career at Bob Jones High School, guiding the Patriots to the 2010 Class 6A state championship.
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