Go Make an Impact
Coach Willie Moore IV makes an impact on the sideline, in the classroom, and in the sanctuary.
Words by Micah Harrison | Image by Justin Hunter
Now the head boys’ basketball coach at Central High School in Tuscaloosa, Willie Moore IV began his basketball journey in Walker County. Growing up in Jasper, he attended Walker High School, where he played from 1998 to 2002. During his senior year, he earned the opportunity to play college basketball and eagerly accepted.
To ease the transition from high school to college, Moore redshirted his first year. From 2002 to 2005, he played for Bevill State Community College while living on campus in Murphy Hall. One Friday night, as he lay in bed, he had a moment that would change the course of his life.
“The good Lord spoke to me and said, ‘Go make an impact on young people.’ That’s how I became a math teacher,” Moore recalls.
Originally planning to become an engineer, Moore had spent his summers working for an engineering firm in Jasper. His strong background in math made the shift to teaching a natural fit. After Bevill, he transferred to the University of West Alabama, where he finished his collegiate basketball career in 2007.
When Moore graduated, he returned home to Jasper and began working as a paraprofessional at Walker High School. He completed his teaching internship and passed the Praxis exam but soon discovered he was still a few credits short of earning his degree. He decided to finish his coursework at Miles College, officially earning his degree in 2015.
Back in Jasper, Moore joined the Walker High School boys’ basketball coaching staff as an assistant. His first season, 2007–2008, proved historic—the team reached the school’s first-ever Sweet Sixteen appearance and recorded both the highest-scoring player and the best season record in school history. That success continued with four straight Sweet Sixteen appearances.
In his final two years at Walker, Moore took on the role of head coach for the girls’ basketball team. In his debut as a head coach, he led the program to the playoffs both seasons and doubled the team’s win total from his first year to his second.
After two years leading the Lady Vikings, Moore was hired as the head girls’ basketball coach at Huntsville High School. Over his three years there, he built another strong program and coached a standout athlete who went on to be a finalist for the 7APlayer of the Year.
“She was recruited by schools from all Power Five conferences and ultimately chose Vanderbilt,” Moore says proudly.
When his time in Huntsville came to an end, Moore received a call about an opening at Central High School in Tuscaloosa. The school’s head boys’ basketball coach position, which also included teaching math, was open, and the position would bring Moore closer to his hometown. It felt like the right fit. “It was all about God’s timing,” he says.
Now in his seventh year at Central, Moore has led the Falcons to two Sweet Sixteen appearances. Being next door to the University of Alabama has also allowed him to learn from the Crimson Tide’s recent success, often attending their practices.
Nineteen years into his coaching career, Moore hopes to conclude his final seasons at Central before retirement. “I plan to keep coaching for the next six years and see what the Lord has in store,” he says.
When he’s not coaching or teaching, Moore can be found at Canaan Missionary Baptist Church in Fayette County, where he serves as senior pastor. He grew up attending Frisco First Baptist Church in Jasper, where he served as a deacon, trustee, and later an associate minister. Becoming a senior pastor wasn’t part of his plan, but he says the opportunity came unexpectedly and unmistakably. “I wasn’t seeking it, but the door opened. After praying about it, I knew I was supposed to accept.”
Moore and his wife, Lakesha, have two sons, Wil and Jabari. One of the greatest joys of his career has been sharing the game he loves with them, first with Jabari serving as his team manager at Walker, and now with Wil playing as a freshman on his team at Central.
As he looks toward the future, Moore feels his calling shifting toward full-time ministry.
“Being full-time in ministry is what God has pressed upon my heart,” he says. “Even though my life didn’t go exactly as I expected, I feel like I’m in a place of purpose. God has a perfect plan for our lives.” 78