A 1948 graduate of Red Bay High School, Coach Hubbard played football for the Tigers and was Honorable Mention All-State his senior season. After high school he received a scholarship to Jones Mississippi Junior College where he played football and ran track from 1948-1950. After serving in the military from 1950-1952, he returned to school and graduated from Jacksonville State in 1954. He began his coaching career at Cherokee in 1954. He then coached both basketball and football at Vina High School until 1958. He returned to Cherokee to assist Coach Bud Mills from 1958-1973 during the years the great Cherokee football tradition was established. In addition to coaching football he was the track coach and in 1974 led the Indians to the State Track Championship and was named "Coach of the Year.