The Gulf States Independent Athletic Association (GSIAA) has officially appointed veteran educator, coach, and administrator Glynn Lott as its first-ever executive director, marking a major milestone in the league’s development as it prepares to reshape high school athletics across Alabama and the broader Southeast region.
Lott assumed his new role effective immediately following his resignation as headmaster of Macon East Academy earlier this week. His appointment brings over three decades of leadership experience to the newly formed athletic association.
A Storied Career in Independent School Athletics
A native of Burkville and a 1983 graduate of Lowndes Academy, Lott has spent nearly his entire professional life within independent school athletics. His career began coaching boys’ and girls’ basketball at Macon Academy from 1985 to 1990, followed by a tenure at Meadowview Christian School from 1991 to 1994.
When Macon Academy relocated to Cecil in 1995 as Macon-East Montgomery Academy, Lott joined as the head football coach before adding athletic director to his responsibilities in 1997. Over his 32-year tenure at Macon East, Lott built championship-caliber programs across football, basketball, baseball, and softball.
His contribution to independent school athletics gained statewide recognition in 2013 when he was inducted into the Alabama Independent School Association (AISA) Hall of Fame. In addition to his coaching and headmaster duties, Lott served as director of the AISA Coaches Association starting in 2008, as past president of the AISA Headmasters Association, and as a member of the AISA board of directors.
Driving a New Vision for Governance
Lott’s decision to step down from Macon East stems from nearly a year of groundwork to explore a new model for governing high school athletic programs.
“When this all started, it was not for me to find another job,” Lott said. “The purpose was to try and help the schools in the state of Alabama—for them to have a meaningful say-so in how they want their athletics to be run. I could see what was happening and knew now was the time to step up and help.”
Lott spent close to a year traveling across the state to gauge interest, construct potential regional mapping, and draft a governance structure alongside former players and athletic leaders.
“If I’m not willing to step up and lead this association, why are the schools going to be willing to do it?” Lott explained. “Once we put together maps and a draft of a unique way to govern athletics, the level of interest exponentially increased. I knew at that point for this to work, somebody had to step up and run this association.”
Future Steps and Expansion
With the GSIAA founding board having finalized its formal bylaws, the association is focusing heavily on membership expansion and commercial partnerships ahead of its inaugural season next fall.
Key details regarding the league’s rollout include:
- Open Membership: The GSIAA plans to welcome a mix of public and private schools from Alabama and neighboring Southeast states, offering an open platform for all interested institutions.
- Sponsorship Framework: Executive leadership is actively pursuing founding sponsors, exclusive rights arrangements, and first-rights-of-refusal models.
- Formal Unveiling: A press conference will be held in the coming weeks to reveal detailed information on the governance structure, origins, eligibility rules, and member rosters.
“Our board is set, our bylaws are complete, and we are excited about the future of high school athletics in the great state of Alabama, and maybe even surrounding states,” Lott said. “This will truly be a new, unique association that will be nothing like any organizations many are used to seeing in the southeast U.S. Oh, and everybody is welcome to join.”