MADISON- “It was an awesome season and a good ending to my year,” said Chad McGehee of the completion of the 2021 high school football season after being one of numerous coaches who coached in the 2022 Under Armour All-American Game held Jan. 2 in Orlando, Fla.

McGehee was invited to coach in the game, which featured some of the top 2022 recruits who came together to compete on one big stage. The game rosters showcased 15 five-star prospects and over 90 prospects rated in the ESPN 300. Players were asked to choose names for the two squads and Team Icon versus Team Legend were selected. McGehee was one of a dozen coaches for Team Icon, which won the contest 23-17 and shown live on ESPN.

The 45-year old McGehee was one of four coaches from Alabama selected to assist in the 14^th annual contest held at Camping World Stadium. Upon arriving four days prior to game day, players and coaches met for four days of practice sessions.

“All of the coaches received a good reception by the players as they wanted to work and play well,” said McGehee. “They were like sponges. The players were always on time and they gained value from all of the coaches.”

Traveling to Orlando with his wife, Amy, and their two sons, Brett and Clayton, McGehee made the trip a family vacation visiting all of the local resorts including the Disney/ESPN Resorts.

As for the contest, McGehee was responsible for the defensive secondary, which is where he cut his teeth in coaching. He arrived at James Clemens for the 2021 season from Hoover where he was defensive coordinator for three years. Arriving in Madison he had 17 years of experience as an assistant coach and four years as a head coach after playing college football at Alabama from 1995-1998. The annual All-Star matchup featured Travis Hunter, regarded as the No. 1 recruit in the country. The defensive back from Georgia recently signed with Jackson State.

As for McGehee, 2021 was a remarkable season leading James Clemens to an undefeated regular season, but unexpectedly fell in the first round of the state playoffs. For his efforts with a new team, he was named the Class 7A Coach of the Year in Alabama. Like most other coaches, McGehee doesn’t rest on his laurels and coached in the nationally televised game learning what he could.

“I had the chance to pick the brains from other coaches,” said McGehee. “I always get something from experiences like this. I got one or two nuggets of information to help me become a better coach. As for the Under Armour Game, it ranks among the top five experiences for me as a coach. Just to be able to coach that caliber of players was a neat experience.”