Fyffe High school’s current head football coach just completed leading the Red Devils to their 13th undefeated regular season (10-0). Benefield, 64,like many of this year’s Hall of Fame selectees, is a 1976 graduate of Fyffe High School. He completed his bachelor’s degree at Jacksonville State University in 1980 and earned his master’s in 1981.
He began his football coaching career back at his alma mater as an assistant coach from 1981-1987. He moved to DeKalb County rival Plainview from 1997 – 1992 and then took his first head-coaching position at another DeKalb County school Sylvania 1992. He compiled a 45-11 record in five seasons leading the Rams to back-to-back 12-1 seasons in 1994 and 1995. He moved back home to Fyffe in in 1997 and for the last 26 years has been nothing short of amazing.
This year’s team finished the regular season 10-0 for the 13th time in his tenure at Fyffe, and counting Sylvania’s back-to-back 10-0 regular seasons, give him 15 in 31 years as a head coach. Since taking over the Red Devils program, Fyffe has gone 287-44 with a 51-game winning streak from 2018-2021 and has been the AHSAA’s winningest football program for the last 20 years. His teams have won five state championships since 2014 and have finished runner-up twice (2007, 2015). His 2019 team outscored opponents 639-43, and his 2014 team set a then state record scoring 751 points in a 15-0 state championship run.
Fyffe two Class 2A crowns in going 15-0 each year in 2018 and 2019, moved to Class 3A in 2020 and finished 15-0 again to claim its third consecutive state title.
Benefield has compiled an incredible 332-55 record, which ranks third all time. His winning percentage of 85.8% is the best in state history for any coach winning more than 200 games. His teams put together a streak of 70 consecutive games scoring 20 or more points, his 58-23 playoff record is one of the best in the state, and his 29 state playoff appearances ranks fourth all-time in the AHSAA.
He was names Alabama Coach of the year in 2007 and 2014, and has coached in the AHSAA North-South and Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Classics.
