Chris Garmon

At White Plains, Garmon started at quarterback and safety for three seasons in football, regularly scored in double figures for the basketball team and started at second base for the varsity baseball team in the eighth grade on his way to earning five baseball letters. He graduated in 1982.

When Garmon was in high school, Calhoun County’s baseball coaches picked one combined all-county team from all four classes. He was an honorable mention all-county player as an infielder following his junior season and earned first-team all-county recognition as a senior. Following his senior season, he played in the annual East-West all-star baseball games.

Garmon received a baseball scholarship to Jacksonville State. He earned NCAA Division II second-team All-American recognition as a sophomore by hitting .424 with 10 doubles, 13 home runs and a team-high 58 RBIs.

Garmon began his junior season as Jacksonville State’s first baseman. Injuries forced Jax State coach Rudy Abbott to play Garmon at second base, shortstop, third base and even catcher. The Gamecocks were 19-21-1 that year, their first losing season under Abbott.

In 1986, Jacksonville State was 46-12 and earned a place in the Division II playoffs. In Garmon’s final college at-bat he stroked a two-run single and finished with 78 RBIs, breaking the previous Gulf South Conference record of 76.

Garmon became JSU baseball’s first two-time Division II baseball All-American after the 1986 season. This time he was a first-team choice. He hit .460 with 17 doubles, 21 home runs and 78 RBIs.

His career batting average was .426. He won the Alabama Sports Writers Association’s Small College Athlete of the Year Award for 1986.

After earning his teaching certification, his first job was at Piedmont in the 1990-91 school year. Garmon was an assistant football coach under George Hoblitzell and head baseball coach. He was named Calhoun County’s Class 1A-3A baseball coach of the year then left Piedmont for Southside.

He became head football coach at Crossville in 1994. Over nine seasons, his Crossville teams were 70-33. He moved to Sardis for the 2003 season and coached the Lions to a 40-36 record over seven seasons.