Wildcats Baseball Coach Named ASWA 7A Coach of the Year

Over the weekend, Tuscaloosa County’s head baseball coach, Nick Richardson, was named the 2025 Alabama Sports Writers Association 7A Baseball Coach of the Year. This honor added to the Wildcats’ historic season, which saw Tuscaloosa County take home its first State Championship in program history in May.

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On Saturday, the ASWA revealed its annual All-State team, showcasing Richardson as the 7A Coach of the Year along with three of his players. Notably, the Wildcats' first baseman earned First-Team honors, while County High’s pitcher, Brooks Mellown, secured a spot on the second team. Outfielder and designated hitter Jashaun Moten also made the list as an honorable mention.

Mellon was selected for the 7A All-State Second Team and received the MVP honors for the Class 7A AHSAA State Finals. The junior pitcher completed a shutout, leading Tuscaloosa County to a 7-0 victory over Enterprise in game two of the state finals while driving home two runs.

Richardson has done an incredible job during his four-year tenure with the Wildcats since taking the job in the summer of 2020. In his first season coaching the program, Tuscaloosa County won its first area championship since moving up to the 7A classification, which was introduced in the 2014-2015 school year. The team’s last area championship came in the 2012-2013 season when the program was in 6A.

In his four seasons with the Wildcats, Richardson has revamped a program that had only managed one winning season in the past six years before he took over. Since then, he has led County High to winning seasons in all four years while bringing the school its first state championship in baseball and two area championships.

The future is bright for Tuscaloosa County’s baseball program, with several players who were part of this year’s State championship team returning, with guys like Ford Traweek, Moten, and Mellown all returning for their senior years. Pitcher Dillon DuBose, who had an impressive outing in the Wildcats’ 3-1 win over Bob Jones to punch County High’s ticket to the state finals, allowing only one run while recording eight strikeouts, will be returning for his junior season.

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