Schuessler Ware

Ware graduated from Anniston High School in 1974. He became head basketball coach at his alma mater in the 1997-98 school year, beginning a 19-season run of unprecedented basketball success for the Bulldogs.

Ware’s teams were Alabama High School Athletic Association Northeast Regional tournament champions five times and claimed state champions twice. The Bulldogs won the Class 5A state title in 2002 by defeating Russellville 79-58. In 2009, Ware coached Anniston to the 4A championship with a 79-49 win over Dora. Ware’s Bulldogs finished the 2011 campaign as 4A runner-up to S.R. Butler of Huntsville. Anniston also won Northeast Regional crowns in 1998 and 2010 before losing in the state tournament semifinals those years.

In 14 of Ware’s 19 seasons as head coach, the Bulldogs appeared in the Northeast Regional. They were champions five times and concluded their season three times as Northeast Regional runner-up in narrow losses. Anniston lost to Saks 63-61 in overtime in 2006, S.R. Butler 69-66 in triple overtime in 2008 and dropped a 45-43 decision to J.O. Johnson in 2016.  

The Bulldogs won area tournament championships 15 times during Ware’s 19-season tenure as head coach. His 1998, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016 teams all won area tournaments for the Bulldogs. 

With Ware coaching, eight Aniston teams won Calhoun County tournament championships. Those county tournament titles came in 2000 over Alexandria, 2001 over Alexandria, 2002 over Oxford, 2007 over Alexandria, 2008 over Saks, 2009 over Oxford, 2014 over Sacred Heart and 2016 over Sacred Heart. The Bulldogs were Calhoun County tournament runners-up for Ware in 1998, 1999, 2003, 2006 and 2012.

When Ware retired at the conclusion of the 2015-16 season, information available through the Alabama High School Football Historical Society showed his career record for wins and losses at 421-168. Those wins are the most by a basketball coach in Anniston High School history. Only once did an Anniston team coached by Ware end its season with a losing record. The Bulldogs won more than 20 games in 1997-98 (27-7), 1999-2000 (26-7), 2000-01 (26-2), 2005-06 (27-6), 2006-07 (27-6), 2007-08 (24-5), 2008-09 (27-6), 2009-10 (24-10), 2010-11 (21-10), 2013-14 (21-7) and 2015-16 (25-5).

Ware received his undergraduate degree from Talladega College in 1978 and immediately began teaching in the Anniston City Schools system. He earned a master’s degree from Jacksonville State University in 1995. He was Anniston’s ‘B’ team basketball head coach for seven seasons immediately prior to becoming head varsity basketball coach.

Ware was inducted into the Alabama High School Sports Hall of Fame in its Class of 2019.