Foley High School's newest softball coach has won more than 1,700 games, seven state championships and was already inducted into the Alabama High School Sports Hall of Fame.

Tony Scarbrough was hired as the Lions' new coach after he stepped down at Baker following 36 seasons as the Honeybees' skipper where they won 28 Area Championships and went to 22 state tournaments. Three of his players have earned the statewide Gatorade Player of the Year award.

After originally playing slow-pitch softball, Scarbrough helped move the Alabama High School Athletic Association to fastpitch softball instead. Baker claimed three slow-pitch state titles in a row and won nine area championships in 12 years. Once they moved to fastpitch, the Honeybees won four more state championships, including the first awarded at the Class 7A level.

Now Scarbrough will remain in the largest classification but moves from Area 2 to Area 1 where Foley is joined by Fairhope and Daphne. Last year, the Lions finished third in what was a four-team group and won only one game in the area tournament.

Heading into the 2022-23 season, Scarbrough and Baker own the top four spots on the AHSAA's all-time single-season win total: 79 (2007), 78 (2005), 77 (2004) and 69 (2006). The Honeybees finished the 2005 campaign with the third-highest season winning percentage in AHSAA history (minimum 20 games) at .963 behind only Hoover's 63-1 season in 1997 and Spain Park's 21-0 run in 2020.

Scarbrough was inducted into the Alabama High School Sports Hall of Fame in 2017 and the Mobile Softball Hall of Fame in 1992. He was named the National Federation of State High School Associations' Section 3 Coach of the Year in 2005 and 2015 and was the National High School Coaches Association's Coach of the Year in 2007.