Oakland names Kevin Creasy next football coach

MURFREESBORO – Oakland High replaced its former state championship football coach with a three-time champion.

Oakland High principal Bill Spurlock named Kevin Creasy, who led Trousdale County to three state championships in seven seasons, the school's next football coach on Monday.

Creasy replaces Thomas McDaniel, who resigned the position last month to accept the same position at Christian Brothers.

Creasy informed his former team this morning of his resignation. Oakland High will make a formal announcement at 9 a.m. Wednesday in the school's indoor facility.

"I think Oakland is one of those destination jobs that only comes along two to three times in a career," said Creasy, 40. "It is really enticing to be at the highest level and in one of the most competitive districts in the nation. Anyone that's coaching and is a competitor wants to play against the best."

Creasy, a Lewis County graduate, accumulated a 79-12 record and reached the playoffs in each of his seven seasons at the Hartsville high school. The Yellow Jackets were 17-4 in the postseason under Creasy. The Yellow Jackets went 9-4 this past season, reaching the the Class 2A state quarterfinals.

Trousdale County had two perfect seasons under Creasy. The Yellow Jackets went 15-0 in Class 1A in 2008 — his first year, and 14-0 in 2013. The Yellow Jackets went 13-1 en route to the 2009 Class 2A state championship.

The past five years Creasy has been the Yellow Jackets' offensive coordinator, directing an offense that has produced 5,000 total yards each year. He also has seven years as a defensive coordinator.

Creasy was the defensive coordinator at Riverdale in 2007 prior to taking the position at Trousdale County. The Warriors went 11-1 that season. Creasy was at Trousdale County as an assistant for six seasons, spending all six as the defensive coordinator, prior to going to Riverdale.

Oakland was an attractive destination for Creasy because of what it had to offer.

"Oakland has the things that coaches want," Creasy said. "You get great support from administration, there are great coaches already there, there are great players ther and they have top-notch facilities. I considered all of those things.

"It's a great place to coach."

Oakland went 12-2 this past season, losing to Class 6A state champion Maryville in the semifinals. McDaniel's departure came seven seasons after the Patriots won the 2008 Class 5A championship in his first season.

Creasy acknowledged that there will be high expectations at Oakland, where the Patriots move from an all-Rutherford County District 7-AAA to an eight-team league that includes five county foes along with Coffee County, Cookeville and Warren County.

Creasy is married to Katie Dillehay Creasy. The couple have two children, Kyler, 8, and Kinley, 4.

At Trousdale County, Creasy replaced longtime coach Clint Satterfield, who became the Trousdale County director of schools.

"I'm used to pressure and high expectations," Creasy said. "I wouldn't be at a job if I didn't have high expectations. I followed a legendary coach at Hartsville. I know what it's like to be at a school with high expectations and am expected to produce every single year.

"I'm also a guy that realizes that you have to on top of your game. Six of the last seven years the state champion came out of my (former) district. I'm used to being in a tough district. I'm used to being in games that mean something to the schools, not just the fan base, but to be in position for winning championships."

Contact Tom Kreager at 615-278-5168 or tkreager@dnj.com. Follow him on Twitter @Kreager.