09/25/2026
Presented by Arnold Heating and Cooling
🏐 COACHING RUNS IN THE FAMILY — AND COLLINSVILLE GOT A GOOD ONE! 🏐
Average Joe’s Sports Talk wants to shine the spotlight on first-year Collinsville Head Coach Kaitlyn Whitmire, a young coach who brings an impressive combination of playing experience, education, character, and leadership to the Lady Panthers program.
Before stepping onto the sidelines as a coach, Whitmire was a standout libero at Snead State, where she established herself as one of the top junior-college liberos in the nation. She continued investing in her future academically as well, eventually earning her master’s degree from Jacksonville State University.
And you might say coaching runs in the Whitmire family.
Kaitlyn’s husband, Teddy Whitmire, is a five-time state champion as an assistant coach across multiple classifications and is widely regarded as one of the top strength and conditioning coaches in the state.
But as impressive as the athletic résumés are, there’s something even more important about the Whitmires.
They’re great parents, people of faith, and the kind of people you want influencing young athletes. Kaitlyn and Teddy are members of Lighthouse Baptist Church of Gadsden, Alabama, and the values they carry with them extend well beyond wins, losses, and athletics.
For Kaitlyn, this is just the beginning of her journey as a head coach, and we believe Collinsville High School has added someone special to its community.
And anyone who has followed Average Joe’s for very long knows how we feel about Collinsville. It’s one of our favorite communities to visit and cover—a place filled with tremendous pride, great people, and a genuine love for its kids.
Congratulations, Coach Whitmire. We’re excited to watch you put your own stamp on the Collinsville volleyball program.
Great coaches build athletes. Great people help build young men and women. Collinsville has another one who can do both.
Pic by Bo Starkey
