Q&A: New Oakland coach works for perfection

MURFREESBORO – Kevin Creasy won three football state titles as a head coach at Trousdale County and one as an assistant before leaving Hartsville for Murfreesboro to take over the Oakland High program.

One month into his tenure in the Rutherford County program, Creasy is prepping for his first spring football practice with the Patriots.

Creasy sat down earlier this week with DNJ prep editor Tom Kreager to talk about his coaching past and his coaching philosophies:

What is your coaching background?

Creasy: I started in college. I had a coaching practicum at Gleason High School. We actually went 0-10. It was probably the best learning experience I ever had. From there, I went to Warren County and stayed there for a year. Next, I went back to Henry County, where I did my student teaching. I was there for three years. I met Donnie Webb, who used to be here, there at Henry County. From there, I went to Bolivar Central, where I finally became a (defensive) coordinator. Then after one year I moved to Trousdale County. I stayed five years, and I was coordinator the entire time. We won state in '05. I came to Riverdale as a defensive coordinator in '07 and stayed for one year. Then I went back to Trousdale County as the head coach. I stayed there for seven years where we won state in '08, '09 and '13.

What have you learned from playing or coaching under guys like Bobby Sharp at Lewis County, Clint Satterfield at Trousdale County and Ron Aydelott at Riverdale?

Creasy: They have taught me so much about the X's and O's, but also they've taught me a lot about what goes on with the job off the field. I think those guys were mentored by great coaches. And I'm very lucky to have been around guys like Bobby Sharp, Clint Satterfield and Ron Aydelott. I know I've learned a lot. It's not just about what's on the field and the X's and O's. It's about building relationships with guys. It's about being a part of the school as a teacher. It's about having your face seen at basketball games, at softball games and being part of the community. It's not just about showing up at 3 o'clock with your whistle around your neck and screaming and hollering for a few hours and then going home. There is a lot that is expected out of a head coach now. A lot of times you are the ambassador for your school and for your county. I think that's a huge responsibility. With that being said, I was very lucky to be around great head coaches and also lucky to be around good assistant coaches that knew their role. I know how important it is to be surrounded by good people.

I've been told that you are big on perfecting the little things. Can you elaborate on that?

Creasy: There are so many times that ball games are won and lost because of little things — a penalty here, a missed assignment there. People look at the big plays. Most can point out plays that made a big difference in a game. But a lot of times you go back and look at film, and you notice that it's a guy that's taking the wrong first step. It's a guy that's doing his own thing instead of what he's coached up to do. We try and make practice so hard mentally and physically that a lot of times the game is a piece of cake. We strive for perfection. We have yet to reach it. At the same time, we coach up the little things because we believe the little things make all the difference when all things are equal.

You left a one-football town in Hartsville in Trousdale County to come to Murfreesboro with five schools in the city limits and nine in the county. Why leave a place where Trousdale County football is it to a place where you are fighting to not only be the best team but also to attract a crowd?

Creasy: That is a great point. I was very happy where I was at. We were the biggest show in town. There wasn't a competition. I know in Rutherford County there is great football in all different parts of the county. So we're constantly competing for the crowd and for respect and for titles with people from within our county. And also there are a lot of other things that people could do on Friday night in this town. We understand that. We're trying to put a good product on the field that the Oakland community will be proud of and be willing to spend their money on to come watch on Friday night and then leave with a great feeling.

I was happy where I was. I was pleased. But you know, sometimes you don't want to be comfortable. You don't want to be satisfied. I probably could have stayed their until the day I died. It's always going to be a special place to me. But sometimes guys want to challenge yourself and put yourself out there and see what their limits are. I think change is good.

I was able to take a great job. This is one of only a couple jobs that I would ever leave Hartsville for. And right now the Titans already have a coach. I plan on being here for a while. I plan on raising my kids here. I know it's a great school system. I can't wait to get my kids enrolled over here. At the same time, I can't wait to get to coaching in Rutherford County again.

When will you do spring ball, and what do you want to get out of it?

Creasy: April 29 is our first day. We're starting a little bit early because we were kind of behind the eight ball in getting a scrimmage. So we have three weeks to get 10 days. We'll go a couple days that first week. We are starting that week with our lift-a-thon. We'll have lift-a-thon on Monday and then practice on that Wednesday and Friday. That will give us a little break between heavy weightlifting and heavy hitting. Then we are coming back the next week a little more. We'll end it with a scrimmage with Rhea County, which is a proven program. We're not worried about winning a scrimmage. We're worried about getting as many people on camera that we can. We'll film our practices and our game. We'll have a good tool to evaluate people that didn't get on the field a lot. We are only returning a couple of starters. There are a lot of guys unproven in big-game atmospheres.

Do you consider yourself a defensive-minded coach being that you've primarily been a defensive coordinator?

Creasy: I always consider the defensive coordinator in the role that he plays. I know I think of it as far as field position. Sometimes punting is a really good thing. I know I do take chances, but it's calculated when I'll go for it on fourth down or run a trick play. I'm always thinking from a defensive mindset.

How difficult is it to coach today's kid?

Creasy: It is a challenge. I always wanted to see a coach like Knute Rockne or Bear Bryant and how they'd handle a kid with the circumstances and situations that today's kid has to deal with. It's not just technology. It's all of the distractions that kids are dealing with today. It's amazing that kids can have all of these distractions and still be able to be on the honor roll and still be able to play an extracurricular sport and excel at it. It's a challenge, but at the same time as a coach you need to be able to adapt and survive. I think it's one of those deals that at the end of the day as a coach you need to be able to motivate and appeal to those guys. But at the same time you have to have discipline and structure and borders that you need to maintain.

You joined the social media world when you got here with Twitter. Is that something you are having to adjust to?

Creasy: I had long conversations with (James) Franklin when he was at Vanderbilt. He had policies in place. But I didn't want to encroach in their personal time. It wasn't like I was trying to hide myself from it. But I wanted to familiarize with it when I came here because it was in demand. (Former Oakland assistant) Kit Hartsfield was the guy that told me that the players are demanding it. They are requesting that you create (a Twitter account). He created it for me. He has my password. He claims he forgot it. So if I start tweeting crazy about Week 5, you know who is doing it. It should be interesting. I've never been opposed to it. But I just thought it could cause a distraction to me. I want to make sure that during the season especially that I'm focused. My TV watching goes way down during the season. I don't talk on the telephone near as much. I try to prioritize. Football and my family are way up there. Social media, TV and movies are things I do way after the season.

What adjustment has it been going from a small 2A school to one of the largest schools in the state?

Creasy: It is a huge school. The numbers are out of the roof. I think we are working out about 122 kids. I know there are some middle schoolers that will impact us well numerically. We'll have over 200 9-12. Learning these kids have been a challenge. Trying to develop a depth chart has been a challenge.

I see myself as a guy that (principal) Mr. (Bill) Spurlock went out and gave an opportunity. But it's just not an opportunity for myself and my own brand, but I'm representing all of the small-school guys that never got a chance. A lot of times people say, 'Well, he won because he was at a small school. They couldn't do that here to the highest level.' I'm here to say that some of the best coaches that I've ever been around are the small-school coaches because they have worked at every position. They have perfected football in such a way that they were able to coach any position on the field. I think that says a lot about a person. Sometimes at bigger schools coaches get pigeon-holed in coaching one side of the ball or at one position. At smaller schools with smaller staffs, they have to hone their skills and become perfectionists at different parts of the game.

I feel like I have a little pressure to succeed at a personal level, but at the same time there is that guy that didn't get that second interview five years ago because he was at a small school.

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

Meet Kevin Creasy

Who: New Oakland High football coach

Age: 40

Family: Wife: Katie Creasy; children: son, Kyler, 8; daughter, Kinley, 4.

Education: Graduated from Lewis County High School. Bachelor's in secondary education from UT-Martin. Master's degree from Cumberland University.