Fairhope football coach Caleb Ross says he’s happy these days, wearing what colleagues describe as a broad smile because, in his words, he’s back where he belongs — on the prep sidelines doing what he loves most.
Ross arrives at Fairhope after stints in college coaching at Troy, Tulane and McGill-Toolen, taking over the Pirates’ head coaching position following Tim Carter’s retirement. The move continues a well-worn path for Alabama coaches who spend years in college programs before returning to high school football, often citing the more direct, hands-on relationship with players that prep coaching offers compared with the recruiting-driven demands of the college game.
Ross’s hire is part of the site’s broader “Gridiron Guide 2026” preseason coverage, which has been profiling head coaches across the region ahead of the fall football season. Fairhope enters the year under new leadership at a moment when several Baldwin and Mobile County programs are navigating coaching transitions of their own.