PCHS alum ‘ready’ for first varsity baseball coaching job

It’s been a long time since Cameron Harris has been clothes shopping.

That’s about to change, though, as the 2013 Phil Campbell High School graduate was hired last week as the new varsity baseball coach at Elkmont High School in Limestone County.

The 31-year-old Harris’ first varsity head coaching position came with a cost, though, as he had to say goodbye to Athens City Schools, where he’s taught and coached since his degree in Collaborative Education from Athens State University in 2017.

Harris’ closet was full of black and gold Golden Eagles attire. You amass a lot of coaching swag in almost a decade at one school.

Black and gold is familiar color scheme to Harris, who was a stand out athlete at Phil Campbell.

As the top man at Elkmont, Harris will pivot to black and red, the Red Devils’ school colors.

He’ll also teach self-contained special education at Elkmont, so it’s time to update his wardrobe.

“It’s a running joke in my family that I haven’t really bought clothes the past nine years because I’ve accumulated so much Athens stuff,” Harris said. “My in-laws buyme some clothes for Christmas, but now I’ll need an all new wardrobe so I have stuff to wear to work.”

His hiring was approved two weeks ago by the Limestone County Board of Education.

Harris held an informational players meeting May 28th and he began his teaching/coaching duties June 1st.

Harris and his wife Taylor have one daughter, Lainey, who will turn two this August. Taylor runs her own photography business in Athens, where the couple bought a new home this February. It’s only a 15-minute commute to Elkmont, the family will remain in that home.

In Elkmont, Harris inherits a program that’s made playoff appearances the past five seasons. And they lost only three seniors to graduation, although Harris said they were key contributors on the 23-13 varsity squad this spring.

The son of Ronald and Tina Harris, Cam (as he’s best known) grew up in a home that revolved around sports. His older brother Griffin set the bar high with his stellar multi-sport athletic career, and Ron worked as a high school and collegiate basketball official for many years, as well as regularly coaching his sons in youth sports.

Cam was an assistant coach for Griffin his brother’s first year as Tharptown varsity baseball coach.

Before accepting the Elkmont job, Harris spoke with his head coach at Athens, Mike Murphree, and the school’s varsity softball coach Chuck Smith, who Harris served under his first seven years as an assistant varsity baseball coach. Both were supportive and excited about Harris’ opportunity.

Elkmont High School principal Graham Aderholt was Harris’ principal when he began with Athens City Schools. His respect for Aderholt made the Elkmont job even more attractive.

“He was my principal at Athens Middle School where I taught my first four years,” Harris said. “He’s been by far the best administrator I’ve worked for. He played college basketball at the University of Alabama Huntsville, so he’s very sports minded. He was always well-organized and he supported his teachers and coaches. Then he got the principal’s job at Elkmont three years ago, so when he called, it made my decision easier,” Harris added.

Harris credits Smith, Murphree and his varsity baseball coaches at Phil Campbell, Alf Welborn and Jonathan Raper, with helping shape his coaching career.

“I’ve been blessed to work for some great coaches and with some great coaches at Athens. I wasn’t going to leave unless it felt like the right opportunity. I’ve had a few schools reach out in the past, but I didn’t think it was the right time. This time, I decided I was ready for the opportunity to run my own program,” Harris said.

Griffin, now the varsity baseball coach at Phil Campbell, is also a great resource as Cam takes the helm of his own program.

“We have a really good relationship. We talk several times a week just about baseball stuff,” Cameron said. “We bounce things off each other. He’s been helpful so far to answer questions about the expectations going from a big school to a smaller one. (Athens is a 6A school and Elkmont is in Class 3A).

“We’ll have to do more fundraising and build some stuff on our own,” he added.

There is some recent history between the two programs now led by the Harris brothers, as Phil Campbell has twice eliminated Elkmont in the Class 3A baseball playoffs. The Bobcats will drop to 2A next year, so no more playoff matchups, but that doesn’t mean the two programs won’t see each other.

“We’ve already got a game set next spring. It will be at Phil Campbell this year, and we’ll talk about a home and home series after that,” Harris said.

When that game is played next year, it will be an emotional day for the Harris family, and there’s a possibility of a few parental tears being shed, but not by who you might think.

“I don’t think mom will have to worry about tears that day, but dad, he’ll be bawling his eyes out,” Cam said.