Former Coaches to Hold Book Signings In Baldwin County

According to GulfCoastNewsToday.com, former Auburn University basketball coach Sonny Smith and professional baseball player, author and radio host Lou Vickery will be in Baldwin County on September 8 to promote their new book Winning the “Head” Game: The Key to Elite Athletic Status. Events will be held at 11 a.m.-1 p.m. at the George C. Meyer Tennis Center in Gulf Shores and at 3-5 p.m. at Page & Palette in Fairhope. A native of Tennessee, Smith became the head coach of the Tigers in 1978 and led them to the 1985 Southeastern Conference Tournament championship and five National Collegiate Athletic Association Tournament appearances, its first coming in 1984 with future National Basketball Association Hall of Famer and Olympic Games champion Charles Barkley. Smith retired from coaching in 1998 with an overall coaching record of 339-304, going 172-154 at Auburn, and was inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame in 2007. Vickery, a resident of Fairhope, signed a professional baseball contract with the St. Louis Cardinals out of high school. Over a 10-year career, he also played for the New York Yankees and coached the Cincinnati Reds.