GDW Analysis:
HANCEVILLE: Wallace State Community College's girls basketball playday on Thursday drew two people that are a legacy of the Alabama High School Athletic Association (AHSAA).
Jana Killen of Deshler and Tammy West of Cullman had their squads going through assignments in the first week of summer play the state association allows every June.
Killen ranks as the winningest coach in AHSAA with 927 victories in 36 years at Deshler, a 4A program well known from the Tuscumbia area.
West is 5th in the ranking. She built impressive credentials with 754 wins at Cold Springs HS for 33 years.
Back in the spring, West accepted an offer to move to Cullman High School.
West has led Cold Springs to four AHSAA championships and is recognized for being inducted into the Cullman County Sports Hall of Fame in 2022.
Ranked right behind West is Tim Miller.
Miller made a name for himself with greatness at Hazel Green High School in Madison County by guiding the Lady Trojans to 7 consecutive state titles.
Miller on Wednesday retired from the coaching ranks to become athletic director at St. John Paul Catholic in Huntsville.
With Miller now retired, three coaches in the Top 10 are still on the sidelines.
Killen, West and Carey Ellison of Pisgah.
Ellison finished the 2023/24 season with 721 victories. His record from the past season is not completely reported.
Miller is atop the leaderboard in AHSAA championships with 11, 7 of them coming while at Hazel Green.
Killen has earned the title 7 times with Deshler and West 4 times for the success she built at Cold Springs.
West currently has the following former players that are AHSAA head coaches.
Bailey West Boland at Falkville.
Paige Parker Adams at Cold Springs
Lorie Graves Kerley at Briarwood Christian
Emily Willoughby at Vinemont
West has two other daughters serving in a role as assistant coaches.
Hayden West Voce works with the West Point Lady Warriors.
Toni West is an assistant at Wallace State Community College.
For the record, GDW was at Wallace State June 05, 2026 with Killen and West combining for 1,681 victories in AHSAA basketball, spanning over 30 years and combined total of 11 state championships.
West shares a family honor as her father Danny Welborn got over 300 victories as head coach at Good Hope High School.
Her brother John Welborn has been at West Point for 10 years with the program compiling 204 victories.
That's 1,258 victories in one sport by a father, daughter and son in Cullman County.
Photo of Tammy West and the Cullman Lady Bearcats at the Wallace State playday Thursday from Tom Drake Coliseum.
GDW photo by Johnny Thornton.
