In a shocking move, Terry Canova is leaving his post as the Head Coach of Girls Basketball at UMS-Wright Prep here in Mobile to become the new Head Coach of Girls Basketball at Orange Beach. Canova spent the last 20 years building the Bulldogs into a perennial power locally.<\/p>\n
In his 20 seasons at the helm, Canova and the Bulldogs won 447 games, and had great success in the AHSAA playoffs as well. In the Canova Era the Bulldogs made 13 Sweet Sixteen appearances, 9 trips to the Elite Eight, and 3 trips to the Final 4.<\/p>\n
In a text exchange with Canova he called the move “surreal”. What may be even more “surreal” is the name that will join him as an Assistant Coach for the Makos. Amanda Niehoff will be leaving her position as Head Girls Basketball Coach at Saraland to join Canova as an assistant.<\/p>\n
In 3 years at Saraland, Niehoff amassed a record of 53-32 and in a previous stop at St. Paul’s Episcopal she led the Saints to a Final Four appearance and an overall 116-93 record.<\/p>\n
Niehoff and Canova have shared a long-standing relationship. In his time as an assistant at South Alabama, Canova recruited Niehoff in her time as a player to Mobile from Oklahoma. Niehoff also spent 7 years as Canova’s assistant at UMS before making the jump to Head Coaching with St. Paul’s.<\/p>\n
Canova will follow Mike Chase. Chase was let go by Orange Beach following the completion of the 2025-26 season and recently accepted a new position as the Head Coach at Austin High School.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"