Gardendale’s Matt Plunkett taking over at Cullman

Cullman, AL – When the Cullman Bearcats hit the gridiron in 2018 they will have a new head coach for the first time in 17 years. 

PrepsNet has confirmed that Cullman plans to officially name Gardendale’s Matt Plunkett as it’s 27th head coach at 8:00 AM Friday morning.  

The North Jefferson News’ Erik Harris first reported that Plunkett had accepted the Bearcats job Thursday afternoon. 

Plunkett will take over for long time Cullman head coach Mark Britton who stepped down as Bearcats head coach seven games into the season following being diagnosed with kidney cancer.  CHS athletic director Mark Stephens took over as interim head coach for the Bearcats final four contests of 2017.

Britton, who is Cullman’s all-time winningest head coach, lead the Bearcats to a 134-64 record in 17 seasons including 15 postseason appearances and back-to-back trips to the 5A semi-finals in 2007 and 2008.   

Plunkett is coming off his fifth season at Gardendale, posting a 37-22 record, 21-10 in region play.  He led the Rockets to the playoffs for four consecutive seasons including a pair of trips to the 6A quarterfinals in 2014 and 2015.    Before accepting his first head coaching job at Gardendale in 2013, the Arab native served as the offensive coordinator at Texas’ Magnolia West High School.  Earlier in his career he spent time on the staffs of collegiate programs Pittsburgh State, Carson-Newman and Missouri State. 

The Arab High School graduate played receiver for legendary Arabian Knights head coach Larry Patterson before waking on at UNA and eventually serving as a student assistant at the University of Alabama.   He is the son of longtime Arab assistant coach Ken Plunkett.