A 30-YEAR SUCCESS: Lott leaves behind great memories, accomplishments at Macon East

Glynn Lott spent 30-plus years as a coach and administrator at Macon East Academy. He will step into the role as the first-ever executive director of the Gulf States Independent Athletic Association, effective immediately. (File Photo)

By TIM GAYLE

It’s hard to imagine Macon East Academy without Glynn Lott, but the veteran coach and administrator notified the school board on Wednesday he was stepping down and accepting an offer to serve as the new executive director of the Gulf States Independent Athletic Association.

“At the last (GSIAA) meeting, it was asked and I told them I wanted to think about it,” Lott said. “I talked to (wife) Michelle about it and finally felt comfortable with that.”

A Burkville native and a 1983 graduate of Lowndes Academy, he has never spent a moment of his adult life without a role in coaching. He has spent his entire life in the Alabama Independent School Association, getting his start as both the boys’ and girls’ basketball coach at Macon Academy (1985-90) and at Meadowview Christian School (1991-94). When Macon Academy moved a few miles west into Montgomery County and relocated in Cecil as Mason-East Montgomery Academy in 1995, Lott was hired as the football coach.

“When I got here, it was a barn with silos everywhere and I thought I was at the wrong place,” he said. “I didn’t think you could build a school where I was. Now, look what it is. It’s probably time for somebody else to take it further than I can.”

Two years into his tenure, he added the role of athletic director. A decade later, he became the headmaster. Over the past 30 years, he has coached championship programs in boys’ basketball, girls’ basketball, baseball and softball.

Lott was inducted into the AISA Hall of Fame in 2013. He has served as the director of the AISA Coaches Association since 2008 and has served on the AISA board of trustees for the last several years. Now, he’s stepping away from his longtime role to serve as the new executive director of a statewide private school association.

“When the GSIAA was started, it was not for me to find another job,” Lott said. “The whole purpose of this was to try and help the private schools in the state of Alabama to have an association where they have a meaningful say-so in athletics in the state. It’s time for somebody to make a step for that to happen.

“I’ve been the one asking these people to do this. If I’m not willing to do it, why are they going to be willing to do it?”

Over the years, he bucked the trend by keeping his job as the Knights’ football coach despite some ups and downs, while also keeping Macon East Academy on a steady academic path as well.

“When I took the headmaster’s job,” he said, “(former Macon East headmaster Arthur Bennett) said, ‘You just limited yourself to the next five years. That’s the life of a headmaster at a school.’ And I’ve been here for 30-something years and the headmaster for 15-20 of those years. I have a great board, I have great parents, but it’s getting to be a different world.

“This is something new, something different. I think I’m ready for that, too.”

Lott said the next two steps for the Gulf States Independent Athletic Association is to sign up member schools and to secure corporate sponsorship.

“Sponsors care about how many schools you’re representing,” he said. “The first thing is getting the schools to sign up. At the same time, we’re already looking at (championship) venues and venues for cheer camp, trying to get that out to the schools. We hope to start as early as next week” for member schools to join.