Fairview's George Redding celebrates a touchdown with his players.

It’s been quite a ride for George Redding.

The longtime Fairview football coach, who just wrapped up his 15th campaign with the program, guided the Aggies to a historic season — one in which the Purple and Gold reached the quarterfinals for the first time since 1994 and the semifinals for the first time in school history.

Under Redding’s guidance, Fairview also set single-season program records in wins (12) and points scored (584).

Those accomplishments certainly impressed the Alabama Sports Writers Association (ASWA), which selected Redding as Class 5A Coach of the Year when the 2021 All-State Football Team was announced Sunday. Redding had already corralled All-County, All-Region and Alabama Football Coaches Association (ALFCA) Coach of the Year honors.

The résumé speaks for itself, but Redding’s players say his influence can’t be understated.

“He’s just a great coach,” senior Parker Martin said. “He pushes us, gets us where we need to be, gets us ready mentally each and every week. Without him, we could not have done what we have the past three years. There’s so much you could say about him — but he’s just awesome to play for. He’s great off the field, too. He does anything for us, and that’s why all our guys want to play for him.”

The respect for Redding goes beyond his players, too.

Just ask defensive coordinator Brian Simmons, who’s been with Redding since the beginning.

“He’s a great guy on and off the field,” he said. “He’s driven to be successful and to do things the right way. He’s also very detail-oriented. We have to be really good at technique because of the class we play in and the guys we’re going up against. We have to hammer the kids on the details every day, and George does a really good job of leading that. That’s certainly paid off for us. But more than that, he cares about the kids — not just the on-the-field stuff. He’s always there for those who are playing for him or who have played for him. They know they can always talk to him. I think that resonates with the players.”

Redding has achieved a 101-63 record and recorded nine playoff berths in 15 seasons with Fairview.