Mike King advises a player with the University of North Alabama. King has retired from James Clemens High School. (CONTRIBUTED)

MADISON – Mike King has retired from James Clemens High School.

Over the past 39 years, his teaching assignments have included McGill-Toolen High School in Mobile, Hart County and Griffin high schools in Georgia, Houston Academy in Dothan and Brooks High School in Killen.

In Madison, he worked as a teacher and coach at Bob Jones high and Liberty middle schools. Most recently, he taught social studies at James Clemens.

“As a student, I liked teachers who were well organized,” King said. “I always admired those teachers who could coach and still be a good classroom teacher.”

King is proud to have had the opportunity to teach and coach at two schools that were named National Blue Ribbon Schools — Bob Jones and Liberty.

Also during his career, he “was able to coach on staffs that won state championships. I also coach the kickers at the University of North Alabama, so winning the national championship was very special.”

For people entering a career in education, King advises them to be aware that “things are changing so fast. I would say that whoever comes into education needs to have a passion for helping students.”

During his college years, King first attended The Marion Institute. He then earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees at the University of West Alabama.

For about 30 years, King has worked as a kicking consultant at camps at Auburn University and Georgia Institute of Technology. He also has been on-field director of Tiffin/Pope Kicking Camp at the University of Alabama and directed numerous day camps across the South.

He will continue to coach kickers at UNA.

He and his wife Margaret have two daughters, Allison Tolles and Susan Rowe. “We have one granddaughter Catherine and two step-grandsons,” he said.

Now that he has retired, King plans to pursue enjoyable pastimes more often, such as riding his bike, playing tennis and traveling.