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Chelsea's girls varsity head coach Jason Harlow calls a play during the Chelsea vs. Park Cross AHSAA 6A State Championship game on Mar. 1, 2025 at the Birmingham Legacy Arena. Photo by Savannah Schmidt.
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Starnes Digital
Chelsea's girls varsity head coach Jason Harlow accepts the runner-up trophy after the Chelsea vs. Park Cross AHSAA 6A State Championship game on Mar. 1, 2025 at the Birmingham Legacy Arena. Photo by Savannah Schmidt.
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Photo by Erin Nelson Starnes Media
Chelsea girls vs. Dothan
Chelsea head coach Jason Harlow calls a play during a Class 6A Southeast Regional semifinal game between Chelsea and Dothan on Friday, Feb. 14, 2020, at Garrett Coliseum in Montgomery. Photo by Erin Nelson
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Photo by Erin Nelson Starnes Media
Chelsea at Helena basketball
Chelsea head coach Jason Harlow points as he calls out from the sideline in a game between the Chelsea Hornets and the Helena Huskies at Helena High School on Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2020. The Lady Hornets defeated Helena 51-39. Photo by Erin Nelson
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Photo by Erin Nelson Starnes Media
Chelsea at Helena basketball
Chelsea head coach Jason Harlow reacts on the sideline in a game between the Chelsea Hornets and the Helena Huskies at Helena High School on Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2020. The Lady Hornets defeated Helena 51-39. Photo by Erin Nelson
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Photo by Erin Nelson Starnes Media
Chelsea girls vs. Dothan
Chelsea head coach Jason Harlow talks with his players during a timeout in a Class 6A Southeast Regional semifinal game between Chelsea and Dothan on Friday, Feb. 14, 2020, at Garrett Coliseum in Montgomery.The Hornets fell to the Wolves 57-47. Photo by Erin Nelson
Homewood High School has landed one of the top girls basketball coaches in Alabama.
Jason Harlow was approved as the next coach of the Lady Patriots at a Tuesday evening Homewood Board of Education meeting.
Harlow comes from Chelsea, where he led the program to unprecedented heights over the last seven years. The Lady Hornets played in the regional final in four of the last five years, including two trips to the state final four and a state runner-up trophy this past season. He was named the Alabama Sports Writers Association Class 6A Coach of the Year as a result.
“There are certain schools that you view as being ‘everything’ schools,” Harlow said of Homewood. “They’re great academically and great athletically. Homewood has always been one of those schools I’ve had that feeling about, and it would take a place like that to convince me to leave behind something like Chelsea.”
Chelsea reached the regional tournament in each of Harlow’s seven seasons, something accomplished only twice in program history before he took over.
“What it means is that I was consistently surrounded by exceptional people,” Harlow said. “I was really fortunate that I ran into a group of exceptional kids that really bought into what we were selling as a coaching staff.”
Harlow’s teams posted a 172-55 record in his time at Chelsea. He takes over for Gavin King, who coached the Lady Patriots for the last four seasons and took the team to its first regional tournament appearance in five years this past season.
Harlow is originally from Missouri and he spent seven years as a high school coach in the St. Louis area. He and his wife were in Jacksonville, Florida, for four years before moving to the Birmingham area in 2017. After a year as an assistant, Harlow was named head coach at Chelsea toward the end of the 2017-18 school year.
“We’re ecstatic to have one of the best high school girls basketball coaches in the state lead the Homewood girls basketball program," Homewood City Schools Athletic Director Rick Baguley said. "Coach Harlow’s track record of success and his commitment to developing student-athletes on and off the court make him an invaluable addition to our athletic department.”
Harlow noted his family and two younger children as key components to the decision, as Homewood is closer to home. He expressed appreciation to the Homewood administration for their professionalism during the hiring process and to the Chelsea and Shelby County Schools administration for being supportive of his program over the years.
"I’m so proud of what we’ve been able to build over the last seven years and what we were able to accomplish here, along with the relationships I was able to make with quality people," Harlow said.
Homewood’s girls have won two state championships, in 2015 and 2017.
“It’s a special place and it’s a place that stands on tremendous values and academic and athletic excellence. I’m going to do my best to uphold those. Hopefully we can build something special that the community can be proud of and represents the community in the best possible light.”
Homewood will host a meet-and-greet with Harlow on May 1at 5:30 p.m. in the Homewood High School competition gym.
Other personnel items approved
Homewood also announced a couple other basketball hires Tuesday evening.
John David Smelser, another one of the top girls basketball coaches in recent years, has taken a position as an assistant with the Homewood boys program after six years as the Vestavia Hills girls coach.
“Hiring JD is easily the best and easiest decision of my early career,” Homewood boys head coach Elijah Garrison said. “JD is a top-tier basketball coach in our state. He is a phenomenal human who cares about kids and wants what is best for them. He will be extremely involved in our day-to-day player development, plus our game planning and overall comprehensive vision for our program.”
Smelser’s teams went 166-33 at Vestavia, advancing to six regionals and three regional finals. The Lady Rebels also advanced to the state championship game in 2022.
“[Garrison’s] vision for the program at Homewood aligns with how I think a program should look,” Smelser said. “I’m excited about making the transition from girls to boys and being bale to work with him in a community like Homewood. It’s a great opportunity.”
Mary Elizabeth Laatsch will be joining the girls staff at Homewood with Harlow as an assistant for the girls program. Laatsch was most recently an assistant coach at UAH for the last three years.
Laatsch played college ball at the University of Montevallo and hails from a prestigious basketball family. Her father Chris Laatsch, currently the head coach at Orange Beach High, coached in the Birmingham area for over 25 years.
