COACH

Bubba Wilson coached various sports at Lakeside from 1990-2003 and served as head baseball coach from 1992-2003, where he went 100-67 and won three region championships. Wilson took over the Viking softball program as head coach in 1993 and served until 2003 when he left for Peachtree Ridge. He went 64-38 as the Vikings’ softball coach and won one region Championship. Lakeside’s Wilson Field is named in his honor. He was named the GACA Region Coach of the Year in 2001 and 2002. Wilson Field was named the DeKalb County Field of the Year in 2001 and Wilson was named the DeKalb Coach of the Year in 2001 and 2002. He was also a member of the football coaching staff during Lakeside’s 1991 state championship season. A talented amateur athlete, Wilson graduated from Shamrock High School in 1972, where he excelled in football and baseball. He was drafted by the Atlanta Braves that year, but opted for the University of Georgia’s football and baseball teams instead. He was a two-year football letterman (1973-74) and was named an All-SEC baseball player in 1975 and Most Valuable Player in 1976. That same year, he was drafted by the Cleveland Indians and played three years of professional baseball within the organization. Wilson retired from Peachtree Ridge in 2018, where he was the baseball coach from 2003-2009 and the softball coach from 2004-2018.

Dan Key coached for Lakeside from 1972-2007, earning numerous awards and titles along the way. In his first year with the Vikings, he led the men’s gymnastics team to the 1973 state championships, where Lakeside took home its first-ever boys gymnastics state title, earning him the DeKalb County Gymnastics Coach of the Year award. He also led the men’s volleyball team to a County Championship in the same year. In 1974, the Vikings finished second at the gymnastics state championships, and Key went on to start the Lakeside girls soccer program. While coaching the girls soccer team, he was awarded DeKalb Soccer Booster Club Coach of the Year in 1981, 1982, 1984 and 1986, and led the Vikings to a 1984 County Championship. Key was also named GACA Regional Coach of the Year from 1984-87, and in 1990 and 1992. In 1991, he won his 100th game as the girls soccer coach. He also coached the junior varsity baseball team, leading the Vikings to a 2007 County Championship. Before his days at Lakeside, Key attended Tucker High School where he was a co-captain on the men’s gymnastics team, leading the Tigers to a County Championship in 1965. He then received a scholarship to attend Furman University and continued his gymnastics career. Over his 35 years at Lakeside, Key coached seven sports, including eighth grade and junior varsity football.