Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

The Selma City Schools Board of Education has hired Marcus Gardner as the new head football coach of the Saints.

Gardner comes to Selma after serving as the defensive coordinator at Wetumpka High School for the 2024 football season. He previously served as the head coach at Carver High School in Montgomery from 2021 to 2023.

He said he felt called into the coaching profession.

“Coaching is a calling. It’s not just a job; it’s a calling for you to want to develop kids,” Gardner said. “So that’s my main thing as a coach, to use the game of football to mold young men. So I’m here for the relationship. I talked to a lot of guys that I coached 10 years ago, and they came up and congratulated me. So I’m here to develop guys and get relationships with guys and see them be successful when they leave here.”

Gardner’s career record is 20-12, according to the Alabama High School Football Historical Society. His teams made the playoffs each of his three seasons, winning the region championship in 2022 and earning a top 10 ranking in the Alabama Sports Writers Association poll.

He said Saints fans can expect to see exciting football. He will demand preparation and organization, and he will expect his teams to excel both on the field and in the classroom.

“Teams are going to play fast and physical. We will start the game fast and finish fast, but really we’re trying to work to make sure academics are taken care of and the community is taken care of. Hard work, accountability and discipline are what we expect on and off the field.”

Gardner knows getting his players recognized in the recruiting process is the key to the success individually for each player and for the program.

“I’ve been a recruiting coordinator everywhere I’ve been,” Gardner said. “So my main thing is to work my butt off for them just like they’re working for me to make sure I get them exposure as much as possible… So my main focus is making sure we get them exposure through social media, through text messages, emails — doing whatever we’ve got to take to get them exposure.”

Gardner was planning to meet with the current coaching staff to see who is going to return this year to see how many vacancies he will need to fill. He also scheduled a meeting with the team Wednesday afternoon and a meeting with parents and guardians.

“I told some of the guys I met, it takes a great talent and dedication,” Gardner said. “I’m here to win and to be successful. I want a program that is respected across the state, (in classes) 7A through 5A, making runs for state championships and getting guys in college.”