Rebuilding Gadsden City baseball gives longtime local assistant first head coaching job

Gadsden City High School has found its new baseball coach, and it's a familiar face for the school and in Etowah County.

Robby Davis recently was announced as head coach, coming back to Gadsden City after a stint as an assistant at Hokes Bluff. Previously he was an assistant at Gadsden City and Southside. He is alum of Glencoe and played baseball at Gadsden State, making him an Etowah County man through and through.

"When I was here the first time, it's got that draw to it. Its a 6A high school, it's a big high school. It's got great facilities, a great opportunity to have a program that is going in the right direction. Winning some games hopefully, getting that thing where it's positive, full of life, full of excitement," Davis said.

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His time in Etowah County has seen him work for top county coaches Blake Bone, Jake Ball, Taylor Talbot and Shane Chappell, and he has ties to Kevin Vinson as well. While this will be the first time Davis heads up his own program, he knows his wealth of knowledge will do him good.

"I have worked for a lot of really good coaches and have learned a lot over the last 12-13 years in my career. I have seen things done a lot of different ways," Davis said. "... I am excited about the opportunity to branch out and have my own program."

Getting Gadsden City back to competitiveness and then the playoffs is the most important thing for Davis' tenure. Its last winning season came under Bone in the shortened 2020 season (6-4). Davis has met his players and is working on filling a staff but he knows once the ball starts rolling what he can do to try and build a consistent winner.

"The biggest thing is energy. Just excitement about the program with the kids playing fast-paced, hard nosed, Davis said. "... Just getting the kids excited, bringing energy and getting the kids playing at a high level, practicing at a high level. It all starts there."

Gadsden City is hoping Davis can revitalize a program that has fallen in recent years, even with a new stadium that debuted in 2023. They went 3-30 last year and will look to return to competitiveness in a new area featuring Southside and Fort Payne.

"We are excited to welcome Coach Davis and his family to the Gadsden City Titan Family as the new head baseball coach of the Gadsden City baseball program," athletic director Ray Edwards wrote in a statement. "His passion for baseball and commitment to building relationships makes him a ideal fit for our baseball program. We are excited to see the positive impact he will have on our student athletes and the entire Gadsden City community. Welcome aboard, Coach Davis and Family."