Ron King
Class of 2020
In the 1972-73 basketball season, Ron King made his mark as a senior at Athens College. Known for his sharp shooting, King led the nation in free throw percentage, hitting an astounding 94.6% of his attempts, including a stretch of 68 consecutive makes. He also averaged 14 points per game, shot 53% from the field, and helped the Bears secure a share of the Southern States Conference championship.
However, King’s legacy extends far beyond his playing days. A 31-year coaching career, most notably at Hazel Green High School, cemented his place in the Huntsville-Madison County Athletic Hall of Fame.
King’s coaching journey began immediately after graduating from Athens. At J.B. Pennington High School, he inherited a team that had gone winless the prior season and slowly turned the program around. After a stint in Georgia, King returned to Alabama, landing the head coaching job at Hazel Green in 1979, thanks to a tip from his former coach Bill Morgan.
At Hazel Green, King found success coaching both boys and girls basketball. Over 14 seasons with the boys, he led the team to two Madison County Tournament titles and four Sub-Regional appearances, compiling a 197-167 record. As coach of the girls team for 11 years, King went 211-128, winning five area tournaments and three Madison County championships. He also coached middle school basketball, track, soccer, and assisted with football.
One of King’s most memorable victories came during his time coaching middle school boys. Trailing by three points with two seconds left, Hazel Green capitalized on a pair of opponent errors, sinking three free throws to force overtime and ultimately win the game.
King’s journey in basketball began humbly in his hometown of Arab, Alabama. Initially excelling in baseball, he struggled to make his seventh-grade basketball team. Encouraged by his father to persevere, King practiced relentlessly, earning a starting spot by eighth grade and scoring 32 points in his first game. At Arab High, he became a prolific scorer, averaging 29 points as a senior and breaking the 40-point mark over a dozen times.
Today, King enjoys coaching at the middle school level, mentoring players like he did his daughters years ago. “I don’t think I’d take a million dollars for all that,” he says, reflecting on a lifetime of coaching as both a passion and a calling.
This content has been generated by an artificial intelligence language model, based on original stories written the year of the honoree's induction by Board members and other contributors. While we strive for accuracy and quality, please note that the information provided may not be entirely error-free or up-to-date. Please contact the Hall of Fame with corrections.
