Photo courtesy of Scott Butler
Homewood High School baseball coach Lee Hall has surpassed 400 career wins.
Those who have known Lee Hall the longest are the least surprised.
Hall has gone from a young student-athlete needing a proverbial kick in the backside to one of the most successful high school baseball coaches in Alabama history.
In February, Hall eclipsed the 400-win mark in his high school baseball coaching career, becoming just the 50th coach in state history to reach that milestone. His coaching journey began in the college ranks as an assistant at Central Alabama Community College and UAB, before launching a head coaching career that has taken him across the state and beyond.
Hall has made stops at Shelby County, Briarwood Christian and Homewood locally, with stints in Mississippi, Dothan and Huntsville along the way. He took over the Patriots in 2018 and has piled up victories since.
Hall grew up in the area and attended Berry High School, where he first crossed paths with Larry Giangrosso — then the head baseball coach and an assistant football coach.
Giangrosso and Hall both recall the story that changed Hall’s trajectory.
After Hall’s ninth grade year, Giangrosso told him he’d need to lose some weight to be successful in either sport.
“Over the summer, he went back and lost 40 pounds,” Giangrosso said. “In August, everybody comes back and they called his name out. The coaches couldn’t believe it. He was an offensive lineman before, but he became one of my good nose men [on defense].”
That dedication led Hall to bat .515 as a senior at Berry — a Berry/Hoover record that still stands today.
Brent Patterson, the longtime head coach at Cullman, has won more than 500 games and two state titles himself. He said Hall’s character stands out just as much as his win total.
“He speaks so much encouragement over everyone he comes into contact with,” Patterson said. “He’s so proud of his players and the type of young men they are and loves to see them grow as they progress in his program.”
Hall is now one of 11 active Alabama high school coaches with 400 career wins and ranks in the top 50 all-time in winning percentage.
Derek Irons, another state championship-winning coach, said his first meeting with Hall “was the most important 30 minutes of my coaching career.” Their friendship has lasted ever since.
“In our state championship series in 2013, I made a very aggressive and risky decision that worked out,” Irons said. “I looked in the stands to find Coach Hall pumping his arms in the air, as excited as any fan or parent. To have a friend cheering you on in moments like that is very special, and I’ll never forget it.”
Keith Brown, a longtime Homewood assistant, was retained when Hall was hired in 2018. He said Hall has pushed him to grow not just as a coach, but as a person.
“Lee tells the kids, ‘Give me two or three years, and I’ll give you the rest of my life,’” Brown said. “He is in the business to build men and relationships, not just baseball players and teams.”
But make no mistake — Hall still has a deep passion for the game.
“He’s going to work at it really hard,” Giangrosso said.
“I would want my kids to play for Coach Hall,” Irons added.
“He is a tender-hearted warrior,” Brown said.
