Sports fans in Chilton County will long remember April 2009 because two of the biggest names in the state’s biggest sport will make appearances here.

On April 14, former Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville will be given the Chilton Auburn Club’s Unsung Hero award at the club’s annual banquet, which will be moved to the Clanton First United Methodist Church’s gymnasium to accommodate the large crowd expected.

Tuberville’s firing at the end of the 2008 season still is an unpopular decision among many Auburn fans, and the local club selected Tuberville as a way to thank him for his 10 years of hard work for the program. A six-year winning streak over rival Alabama won’t hurt Tuberville’s legacy no matter how his tenure ended.

One week later, on April 21, the Chilton County Chapter of the University of Alabama National Alumni Association will welcome UA athletics director Mal Moore to town for its spring meeting at the same location as the Auburn Club’s banquet.

Moore was an assistant under legendary football coach Paul “Bear” Bryant and will be remembered as the man that improved Alabama’s athletic facilities to among the best in the nation and made two of the most respected hires in school history: Nick Saban as football coach and, just one week ago, Anthony Grant as basketball coach.

Tuberville and Moore represent two of the most recognized names to ever be brought in by their respective clubs, and both events will be a positive experience for Chilton County. We encourage all county residents to attend one of the meetings. After all, being born in the state means one has to be a fan of either Alabama or Auburn, right?