A two-year stint came to an abrupt halt for Cedric Lane.

The Pinson Valley boy’s basketball coach was told that he would not return for his third season with the program shortly after a 23-11 season ended in the Northeast Regional semifinals at Jacksonville State University on Feb 16. 

“If there’s something I did, I need to know what I did,” said Lane. “What’s the problem? I thought we did pretty good this year. We didn’t reach our goal, of course, but I felt like we were on the right road to what we were trying to build over here.”

In Lane’s two seasons with the Indians, he built an overall record of 43-22 while stacking up two consecutive Class 6A, Area 12 championships. Under his watch, Pinson Valley won a pair of Northeast Sub-Regional games, including a 109-59 thumping of Cullman on Feb. 13. 

The Indians had not qualified for a regional berth since 2009. Lane led them back to Jacksonville twice in his two seasons at the helm. Both of those runs ended in the JSU Regional semifinals.

Once a three-peat-state-championship-winning-head-coach at Wenonah (2011-13), Lane didn’t seem to have any problems meeting the school’s on-court expectations. So what was the problem? 

“I told the parents that this was a decision that came down from the [Jefferson County] board,” said Lane. 

After Lane was told that his coaching contracts would not be renewed for the 2018-19 school year, Pinson Valley Principal Michael Turner arranged a meeting with Lane and “an assistant superintendent.” At that meeting, Turner, according to Lane, took responsibility for evaluating the basketball program and making the change. 

Turner declined an interview, but did provide a written statement via text message: “I wish Cedric Lane the ABSOLUTELY very best moving forward!”

Lesley Bryant, the mother of All-State sophomore Colby Jones, said her family was shocked by the news.

“[Lane] turned the entire program around. He actually got the community involved with these boys,” said Bryant, who is unsure where her son will attend school next year.

“Colby was hurt, you could see the hurt in his face. It took him by surprise and then when he says, ‘why did they let him go?’ I didn’t have an answer to give him,” she continued. “Then it turned from shock to he’s really mad about the whole situation. Because at first we were told that it was coming from the board of education, and now it’s not coming from the board of education, it’s coming from Mr. Turner himself. Who’s not telling the truth?”

What Bryant will miss most about Lane is his willingness to put his players in position to compete against the best competition and be discovered by coaches at the next level. Jones, a sophomore, currently holds a scholarship offer from UAB. Including him, the Indians had five returning players who have received scholarship offers.

Lane will finish his duties as the track coach this year, but has not determined what comes next. He has spent his last 20 years coaching high school basketball. Of those 20 years, the last 14 have been spent as a head coach.

Erik Harris is the Sports Editor of The North Jefferson News. Email him at njnsports@gmail.com or follow him on Twitter @jeharris2.