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By ANDREW SIMONSON | Sports Editor

PELHAM – The Pelham Panthers have a new leader at the helm of the football program, and it’s a man with deep ties to the Birmingham area and championship experience at the high school and collegiate levels.

Pelham City Schools officially named Ross Newton as its new head football coach with a unanimous vote at a special called Board of Education meeting on Thursday, Jan. 16.

“My family and I are thrilled that I have been named the next Head Football Coach at Pelham High School,” Newton said. “I want to extend my heartfelt gratitude to Dr. (Chuck) Ledbetter, Ms. (Sabrina) Tutchtone, coach (Kim) Kiel, Mr. (Floyd) Collins, and coach (Trey) Simpson for entrusting me with this incredible opportunity and for sharing a vision of excellence for Pelham football. Together with my wife, Allison, and our three sons, we are fully committed to building a program that reflects the highest standards of achievement both on and off the field.”

Newton brings years of collegiate and high school experience to the role and has stops at Auburn, Samford, UCF and Thompson High School on his resume. He also played football locally at Homewood High School and Samford University before shifting to coaching.

Newton spent the majority of his career at his alma mater, coaching Samford for 14 years as the defensive line and linebackers coach. He also served as director of recruiting, camp coordinator and pro liaison.

During his time with the Bulldogs, he led the team to the FCS playoffs three different times, including when Samford was co-champion of the SoCon under Pat Sullivan in 2013, the first time the program won at least a share of a championship since 1936, when it was known as Howard College.

After leaving Lakeshore Drive in 2020, Newton joined Auburn University as director of high school relations under Gus Malzhan. He followed Malzhan to UCF for two separate stints with the Knights, first as head coach analyst in 2021 before becoming head of staff in June 2024.

Newton also served as special teams coordinator for Thompson High School.

Pelham City Schools athletic director Trey Simpson praised Newton’s successful resume along with his values and personality, all of which he believes reflects “The Pelham Way.”

“Coach Newton has had a very successful 21-year career at both the collegiate and high school levels,” Simpson said. “When you think of coach Newton, think of passion, energy, vision and excitement. He embodies the spirit of what Pelham athletics represents and is highly respected throughout the Southeast. We are confident that he will elevate our program and continue to build on the strong traditions of Pelham football.”

New Pelham High School principal Sabrina Tutchtone echoed those sentiments and spoke to the level of respect that Newton has among the coaching community.

“We are thrilled to welcome coach Newton as our new head football coach,” PHS principal Tutchtone said. “His impressive football pedigree and genuine passion for developing student-athletes make him the perfect fit for our program. Throughout the hiring process, it was evident that coach Newton is not only highly respected by both high school and college coaching elites but also deeply committed to elevating our program and providing our school and community with a first-class experience.”

Newton has big goals for Pelham as he sees it as a top-tier program. His goal is to return the Panthers to prominence in Class 6A as a championship contender while continuing to develop players into model student-athletes as a program he would want his three sons to go through.

“Our goal is to elevate Pelham football into an elite program that inspires pride throughout the school, community, and everyone connected to it,” Newton said. “We aim to pursue championships with unwavering determination while fostering the personal growth of our student-athletes into exceptional leaders and contributors to society,” he said. “With the collective support of the Pelham community and our shared commitment to ‘The Pelham Way,’ I am confident we can achieve these ambitious goals. While much work lies ahead, we are eager to get started and will dedicate ourselves every day to transforming our vision into reality.”

Newton replaces Mike Vickery, who served as the team’s head coach for the past three seasons. Vickery went 12-20 as head coach and made the playoffs in his first season in 2022. However, the Panthers went 1-9 in 2024, leading to Pelham parting ways with Vickery on Dec. 18.