Bill Pike

William Franklin Pike, better known as Bill, was born on February 17, 1944, in LaFayette, Georgia to Eugene and Bonnie Pike.  Eugene was the Funeral Home Director and served as the Fire Chief of the Volunteer Fire Department. He also played catcher on the community baseball team. Bill had an older brother, Eugene, Jr., who was an outstanding football player for the LHS Ramblers.

Bill started playing golf at a young age and became very proficient, winning the NW Georgia Regionals in route to playing in the Georgia HS Golf Tournament in Atlanta. The coach took the golf team to Augusta for the 1961 Masters Tournament as a reward. While there, Bill was able to sign up for future Masters Patron Badges, starting in 1974 and continuing until today. In addition to golf, his high school coach sent him to an athletic training clinic at the University of Chattanooga, now UTC, so that he could assist in the care and treatment of athletes involved in LHS football, basketball and track programs.

After graduating from LHS in 1962, Bill was offered a scholarship to play golf and serve as a Student Athletic Trainer at Florence State College, now the University of North Alabama. He earned a double major in biology and history and a double minor in chemistry and political science and decided to teach and coach at the high school level. Coach Pike’s first job after graduating from FSC in 1966 was at Robert E. Lee High School in Huntsville where he coached football, basketball, and golf for 5 years alongside legendary Coach Jerry Dugan. He also used his background as a trainer to help students in all sports.

In 1971, Coach Pike returned to UNA to work as the first full-time athletic trainer for the football and basketball teams and coach the track and field team. While there, he earned a master’s degree in economics and education. After two years at UNA, Coach Pike took a job as a teacher, coach, and trainer at Arab High School. When the boys’ head basketball coach resigned prior to the 1973 season, Coach Pike agreed to serve in that capacity for the season. Bill also purchased and managed Twin Lakes and Colonial Golf Courses.

In 1978, Bill became Head Coach of the Arab Lady Knights basketball program, a job that would become his destiny. Due to the recent passage of Title IX, women’s sports were beginning to grow. Even though Arab High School was the smallest 4A school in the state, the Lady Knights soon became one of the top female basketball programs in Marshall County and Alabama. From 1978 to 1995, the AHS Varsity Girls had a record of 275 wins and 144 loses, a 66% winning record. From 1981-1990, the Lady Knights won 9 consecutive Marshall County Championships and one runner-up. In post-season, Coach Pike’s varsity girls also won 3 Regional and 4 Area Championships, qualified for the Sub-state tournament 7 times and advanced to the state quarterfinals twice. The 1983-84 team went 24-0 before losing in the state quarterfinals. Coach Pike had 31 girls to receive college basketball scholarships during his tenure at AHS. Due to his success in the early years of girls’ varsity sports, Coach Pike is considered by many as “The Father of Girls’ Basketball” in Marshall County.

Coach Pike continued to teach at AHS and operate Twin Lakes Golf Course until retiring in 1995 after 27 years in education. Bill sold Twin Lakes and he and his wife of 59 years, Ellen Allen, moved to Highland, North Carolina, where he sold real estate. Bill also bought and developed another golf course. In 2023, he and Ellen returned to North Alabama and currently live in Huntsville.