For a couple of brothers who never spent much time – if any – growing up talking about career goals, it’s quite the twist of fate for them to end up working in the same profession less than 9 miles away from each other.
Hayden and Trey Hatfield are first-year head basketball coaches at Huntsville private schools St. John Paul II and Randolph School, respectively. Not only are they close to each other, they are Class 4A, Area 15 rivals.
Hayden, the oldest by 3 years at 29, has the upper hand thus far in a pair of head-to-head matchups. The Falcons beat Randolph 55-44 at home on Dec. 5 and 62-55 on the road on Jan. 25. They could meet again if both win first-round games in the area tournament at SJP2 beginning Tuesday. Top seed St. John Paul II (18-8) plays No. 4 Westminster Christian at 6 p.m. while No. 2 Randolph (13-12) meets No. 3 West Limestone at 7:30.
Both brothers played basketball at Decatur High and both became student managers in college – Hayden at Queens University in Charlotte and Trey at Troy University. They never played organized basketball together, but crossed paths working for the Trojans.
“He was a freshman at college and I had to find a six-month internship,” Hayden said. “I got the internship at Troy and he was a student manager for (coach) Phillip Cunningham, so we spent six months together.
“We got to go to games together, were at practice every day. It was a good experience and the first time that I could see that he was really interested in coaching.”
Trey said his two seasons as a student manager for the Trojans were important in his career, but his summer jobs cemented the issue.
“I would work kids’ camps at different colleges,” he said, “like Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech, Alabama. It was really where I realized this is what I want to do. Getting to coach those little kids at those camps is really what started it.
“I didn’t really think this is what I want to do when I grow up,” Trey said. “That’s not a normal answer, I guess, but I think being around those college basketball teams and learning from college coaches there, spending summers around a bunch of coaches and getting to coach kids changed my thinking the first summer I spent at Troy.”
Both brothers – who have a younger brother, Hudson, currently a junior at the University of Alabama – got their degrees in sports management and got into the job pool.
Hayden’s first job came from an idea he had while on vacation.
“Me and my buddies had vacationed in Wyoming, hiking the Grand Tetons, Yellowstone, all that, and I had it in my mind this would be a cool place to live,” he said. “A job came open in Jackson Hole, I applied and eventually got the job. I was single at the time and decided it would be a fun adventure. Things just worked out.”
Jackson Hole was not a plumb assignment, having won just one of 41 games in the two years before Hatfield took over. “The first year, we were around .500, maybe 9-11. The second year, we got in the top 5 of the state rankings and made our first trip to the state tournament in 4A with them. We were able to turn around that program in a quick time. That was a good resume builder.”
Hayden married his Decatur girlfriend, Lily, and they welcomed a son last Jan. 11 – the same birthday as the Hatfields’ mom, Brandie.
“I had always been a big AHSAA guy. After playing in it and all, I had ambitions to get back into it,” he said. “I knew who was good, who wasn’t. Once we had our son (Henry), I knew there was a good chance we’d be moving back. A few things came open and I didn’t get one or two. Then, SJP2 came along and I couldn’t ask for anything better.”
Randolph coach Trey Hatfield during the St. John Paul II Catholic and Randolph School basketball game on Thursday, January 25, 2024 in Huntsville, Ala. (Eric Schultz / Preps@al.com)Eric Schultz | preps@al.com
Trey actually worked at St. John Paul II before his brother applied for the job. “After college I moved back home and started volunteer coaching at JP2,” he said. “I ended up as middle school coach for a year, junior varsity coach for a year after that. I got the JV job (at Randolph) last year and was promoted to varsity coach this year.”
Trey worked for Will Acuff in his lone season leading the Raiders. When he left to join his father’s (Lennie) staff at Lipscomb University, he recommended Hatfield for his job.
“It definitely helped that I was here last year and got to work with coach Acuff,” Trey said. “We’re still running the exact same offense and, for the most part, defense as last year. A big part of our success has been our familiarity of what we’re doing. It’s been incredible. Our seniors have been amazing for a first-year head coach. They have been a huge help.
“I went through the entire interview process. It was not just handed to me. Coach Acuff did tell our AD at the time he thought I was ready for is. They brought in several other candidates, but at the end of the day they chose me. I think my relationship with the players, parents and administration had something to do with that.”
Having a brother basically just across Redstone Arsenal from his school came as a surprise for both Hatfields.
“It’s definitely strange how it happened,” Trey said. “It was interesting timing, to say the least. I never thought that I’d get my first varsity head job and a week later he’d be introduced at the rival school. It’s weird how things work out.
“We talk a lot about random stuff, common opponents, but we don’t speak too much about our specific teams. Both of us scout enough that we know about each other. For me, once I get in a game, I’m not focusing on who the other coach is.
“Not many people are in the situation we’re in,” Trey said. “I wouldn’t say there was any sort of tenseness. We’re just focused on doing our job, hoping we’re as prepared as possible and we do what our players need us to do.”
The Hatfields played in an exhibition game at Huntsville High this summer. Randolph won that one.
“Our first game this season,” Hayden said, “that was a lot different. There was a lot of intensity in the building. Probably for me, it was the most anxious I have been to get a game going just because of the significance. Not just that it was Trey, but it was our first area game of the year. I felt like it was one of those games that could start our season pretty hot or we’d go downhill pretty quick. We were lucky we got it done and from that we kept the momentum going.”
The coaches’ parents are invested in their sons’ debut seasons.
“They are very nervous at the games,” Trey said, “especially when we play each other. They are at our games just about every night. They enjoy it – I think.”
Trey said his Raiders have played a difficult schedule that should help them in tournament play.
“We’ve played a schedule that has prepared us to play against pretty good teams,” he said. “Oakwood (Adventist) played in the state championship last year. Madison Academy is a very good 5A team and we played them twice. Guntersville is a very good 5A team and we pulled that game out at home. I expect them and MA to go far. DAR is a good 4A team and we had a close game that we lost at the end with them. We played another 5A in Boaz and we played Mars Hill twice and they are a really good small school.
“We’ve played so many good teams that we know what we’re capable of. We’ve lost games where we played good and won where we played bad.”
Hayden said his squad’s acceptance of change has been key to its success.
“We had only one or two seniors (from last season) and one or two juniors who decided it wasn’t their thing,” he said. “We had two starters who didn’t return, but we’ve got four seniors who start for me. It’s a good core group coming along and it’s good to have.
“We’re building something special and I couldn’t be happier with how well they received me coming in. I think the key has been that they bought into a sense of urgency early on. We had a lot of pieces and we added Luke Songy and he’s just a super athlete. I think he was All-State in football and he’s going to play baseball at UAH.”