CULLMAN – Compared to the majority of my colleagues in the wonderful world of sports writing, I admittedly have less experience than most, holding my position for a mere five years. However, in that short span of time, I have seen some great games, great players and great coaches. With that said, never have I seen someone put together such a resume, in such a short period of time in varsity basketball as Cullman High School Head Basketball Coach Bobby Meyer. He has a great knack of raising players to their full potential and finding ways to win ballgames. With his induction into the Cullman County Sports Hall of Fame, I had a chance to speak to Meyer and here is what he had to say.
Josh McBrayer: How long have you been a coach?
Bobby Meyer:18 years total. Six years as the varsity basketball coach at Cullman High School, eight years as the varsity basketball coach at Vinemont High School and four years as JV basketball coach at Vinemont High School.
JM: Please share what got you into coaching.
BM: I began as a volunteer assistant at Hanceville with coach Lane Horton in the mid-1980s. Coach impacted me greatly as a teacher, coach and mentor. The core of my basketball understanding I owe to Coach. I didn't immediately pursue coaching; after about a 10-year hiatus working in the private sector I returned to school and eventually earned my teaching degree from UAB in 1997. I was graciously given my first opportunity to coach by Principal Mike Heatherly at Vinemont High School in 1998. He, along with then head coach Brandon Payne and former head coach Ronnie Barnes, allowed me an opportunity.
JM: What are some of your most memorable moments as a coach?
BM: Of course my first year as head coach at Vinemont. We posted a 32-5 record and were the 3A State runner-up.
-Cody Pearson’s 3-pointer at the buzzer to beat Winfield and send Vinemont to Final 4. Arguably the greatest single basketball shot in Cullman County basketball history.
-Overtime victory over Athens last year. Sending Cullman to the Elite 8.
-Winning a pair of Cullman County Championships 2003, 2006.
-Regional Tournament berths in 2003, 2012, 2014 and 2015.
JM: What stood out the most during your time at Vinemont?
BM: Coaching in State Finals, although a more experienced coach may have won the state.
-Coaching three Joe Shultz Award winners. Jared Hembree 2003, Jay Hembree 2006 and Cory Meyer 2010 (all from Vinemont).
-Coaching my son Cory Meyer.
-Winning a County/Area title in baseball 2010 in my one and only year as head baseball coach!
-The players that rebuilt and persevered after our Final 4. The 2004 team won a single game following a 32-win season in 2003. That same group won a Cullman County title in 2006.
-Jared Hembree, the most incredible high school shooter I have ever coached. But he did it ALL.
JM: What has stood out the most thus far during your tenure at Cullman?
BM: The willingness for many people to believe in efforts to put Cullman on the state basketball map.
-Winning the Area Championship four out of the last six years. 2012, 2014, 2015 and 2016.
-Elite 8 run in 2015, selling out three venues.
-Lawson Schaffer, the most incredible high school playmaker I have ever coached. But he did it ALL.
JM: How does it feel and what does it mean to you to be inducted into the Cullman County Sports Hall of Fame at such an early stage in your career?
BM: It feels really odd. As a coach, you really don't allow your thinking to go backwards. Heck, after the last loss (in a season) I'm already thinking about possible lineups for next year.
There are so many coaches and sports stars in the Hall of Fame that you look up to. I will never consider myself on par with those that I grew up admiring. I hope to finish my career upholding the status of the Hall of Fame.
JM: Tell me a little about your time at Hanceville.
BM: I never played organized sports of any kind until 10th grade. I started playing with the JV in 10th grade. I was with the varsity in 11th grade and my senior year with the varsity I was named All-County and All-Area. I signed with Wallace State that summer.
I have known coach Bobby Meyer on a professional level my entire career as a sports writer/editor and I have known him to be a humble person, quick to deflect praise on others, but assume all of the blame when things do not go quite right. However, the interview that I had the pleasure of conducting with one of the newest members of the Cullman County Sports Hall of Fame left me respecting coach Meyer a little more and pulling for his success a little harder.
