Coach Marty Wheeler and his family
After 20 years of coaching football, Marty Wheeler is ready to wear royal blue and call himself a Cleveland Blue Raider. Wheeler, a native of Piedmont, Al., has been hired as the head football coach at Cleveland High School replacing Scott Cummings who resigned in late December. In his ten seasons as the head coach at Covington High School, Wheeler posted a 78-25 record with three state final appearances and four semi-final appearances. He was the Region Coach of the Year five years (’12, ’13, ’15, ’17, ’18) and led his team to a region record of 40-7.
Coach Wheeler is quick to show his excitement to become a Blue Raider. He said, “First off I want to thank God for this opportunity. I also want to thank Dr. Dyer, Mrs. O’Bryan, Mr. Turner, and the committee for the chance to be a part of Raider Nation. I truly believe this is a special place and can’t wait to meet our Team. Fierce Pride and Go Raiders!”
The Covington Chargers finished last season with a record of 14-1 with a tough loss to Alcoa (14-21) in the state finals. The Chargers have won five region titles and made the playoffs nine times under Wheeler. Before taking the Covington program, Coach Marty Wheeler led Pickens High School Dragons and Ripley High School Tigers.
“Coach Wheeler is a coach who brings extreme passion balanced with hard work and character. His opponents describe him as a fierce competitor and hard to beat,” says Cleveland Principal Autumn O’Bryan. She also adds “I believe he will be a perfect fit to lead our young men. We are thrilled to welcome him, his wife Danielle, and their daughters, Keaton and Kale, to the Blue Raider Family.”
Cleveland High School Athletic Director David Turner said, “We are extremely excited for Coach Wheeler to join our team at Cleveland High School. He has a tremendous energy and passion for the game of football. His strength in coaching is definitely his ability to build meaningful relationships with his players. Coach Wheeler has maintained a high level of success over his coaching career that will translate to our football program at CHS.”
Director of Cleveland City Schools Dr. Russell Dyer said, “I am proud of the effort put into this coaching search. Mrs. O’Bryan and Mr. Turner have spent a considerable amount of time researching candidates and our search team has done a tremendous job narrowing down our top candidates. I’ve enjoyed my personal visits with these candidates and I’m confident Mr. Wheeler has the skills and disposition to lead our students both on and off the football field. I look forward to our Blue Raider family getting to know Coach Wheeler and his family soon.”
Cleveland High School will host a meet and greet on Feb. 10, at 2:30 p.m. for Coach Wheeler and his family in the Raider Arena Lobby.