From Staff Reports
Clint Anderson is retiring as head coach of the Thomasville High School Tiger baseball
program following the 2025 season.
In his tenure, Anderson was at the helm for 19.5 seasons, leading the program in two separate stints, 1999 – 2012, and most recently 2020 – 2025 including the covid shortened 2020 campaign. During his career, his teams compiled an overall 403 – 189- 1 record for a 20.7 wins per season average. In the process they captured 11 area championships and were in the playoffs 17 of the 19 seasons including five trips to the semi-finals, a 4A State Runner-up finish in 2009 and most recently winning the 3A State Championship in 2024.
Along the way his players have garnered 26 All State Selections to date with 33 players advancing to play at the collegiate level and three playing professionally. Following the 2024 season, Coach Anderson was named the 3A Coach of The Year.
Anderson, who has also been serving as the head coach of the THS football program, is expected to continue in that role going forward. As for continuing as the head coach of both the football and baseball programs, Anderson stated, “to coach it the way I want and expect to – it was difficult to do two varsity sports.” “This group that graduated this year was getting involved at the middle school level, when I got back into coaching baseball in 2020, and I felt an obligation to see them out.”
John David Phillips, who has been serving as an assistant coach for the past three seasons, has been named as the interim head coach for the baseball program. Assistant coach Ty Parten is expected to continue in his role. “I feel like the baseball program is in a good place,” Anderson said. “There are qualified coaches that are there in place.
“We have had coaches who have worked with me throughout my career that have a vested interest in success at THS. A lot of them were former players that have gone on from here and played at the next level. That definitely is something that contributes to the overall quality of performance.
“Keeping coaches Phillips and Parten in the THS program will provide stability,” Anderson said. “Them being in place helps in the transition.”
Looking back at the 2024 State Championship team, “that was a very special group. When you are in a place like Thomasville and you have a group of seven or eight guys that come through together, who are talented and can play different positions, there are generally enough arms in there. If you have a good blend of underclassmen, who can fill roles…that is a championship type team. Of course, you need to stay healthy and have some breaks along the way too.”
As for the 2025 squad, “the group of seniors this year are special in their own right as well,” the coach said. “In the four years they have been in the program, they have probably been among the top three to top five 3A teams in the state, having either won the championship or having been eliminated in the playoffs by the eventual state champions.”
Anderson played football and baseball at THS throughout his high school years. Following his graduation, he received a baseball scholarship to the University of Mobile, where he played for four seasons, graduating in 1997. After graduation, he accepted a job teaching and coaching at THS in the fall of 1997.
“Besides just loving the game itself, baseball has provided a lot of opportunities for me, including helping to pay for my education and giving me the chance to play overseas,” Anderson said. “I firmly believe the extracurricular involvement in sports develops student athletes for life better than anything else. Students benefit from the discipline and structure required in sports. There are so many ups and downs, so many challenges, and adversity in sports. Being able to battle through that and continue to stay the course is the recipe for success you have to have in sports - but also in life. Being able to coach players and help them through that process is probably the main reason I wanted to continue my involvement in the game after college.”
Known as a coach who gets the best out of his players, Anderson observed “we have had some quality players come through our program at THS through the years. They were blessed with God given talent and did all the right things to further enhance their gifts.
“Unfortunately, that’s not the case all the time. These days, student athletes don’t always see the importance of investing in their talent by working the extra hours required. It’s important that they realize as early as possible how small the window of time they have to play the game is and realize their potential and work hard to develop their talent to the highest level possible.
“Although it may not always seem that way to the student athletes we work with, our utmost goal as a coach is to see each of them reach their full potential in the classroom, in sports, and ultimately in life,” he said. “If there are championships that come along the way that’s a bonus we all can be proud of.”