John McKenzie coached Vigor to a 14-1 finish and the Class 4A state championship in 2021, the fourth state title in school history. (Call News file photo)
By ARTHUR L. MACK
MOBILE — John McKenzie, who led the Vigor to the Class 4A state football title in 2021, will return to coach the Wolves for a second time after the Mobile County School Board approved his hiring on Wednesday.
McKenzie was 19-6 in his two years at Vigor, including a 14-1 finish in 2021 in which the Wolves outscored the opposition 517-181 on the way to a 52-14 trouncing of Oneonta in the Class 4A championship game.
Two months later, McKenzie was placed on administrative leave. The reasons for McKenzie’s removal were never revealed but in June 2022 he was hired to take over at Murphy, where he was 2-7 in his only season before moving on to Paul Bryant High, where he was 3-7 last season.
McKenzie played at national high school power Miami Central, college football at Jackson State and spent most of his coaching career in the college ranks, including a three-year stint as head coach at Delaware State.
“I had a tremendous run at Vigor,” McKenzie said at a press conference announcing his hiring at Murphy on June 27, 2022. “Vigor was a great school. Everything was exceptionally well. A lot of you guys don’t know my wife was kind of ill, had some medical crisis, and I had to take some time off. It was a great opportunity to get my wife back to health and I was just so thankful that Vigor, as well as Mobile County, gave me that opportunity.
“Vigor was great. State champs. You can’t get any better than that. I was pleased to be at Vigor. Sometimes you are there for a season. Sometimes you are there for a reason.”
McKenzie replaces Markus Cook, who was fired earlier this summer after going 12-7 in two seasons.
(This story will be updated.)
