State championship coach takes over Stewarts Creek team

SMYRNA – Lindy King led Martin Luther King to its first TSSAA Class AA girls basketball championship in 2015.

Her next task?

Building Stewarts Creek's girls basketball program into a state-tournament-caliber program.

King was named Creek's girls basketball coach Tuesday, replacing former coach Jessica Jackson. Jackson resigned in April to take over the Blackman High girls program.

"I think this is a great opportunity," King said. "I'm excited to get started. It's been a process to get in and to get started.

"Camp starts next week, so there is a lot of work to get done."

King said she will meet her team Wednesday. Stewarts Creek will attend MTSU's team camp next week.

"We'll start team camp at MTSU (June 3)," she said. "That's how fast this is going to move

"It's not like I'm starting from new, like I did at MLK. These girls know how to play. The majority of them are playing AAU. That's a huge plus. They know how to play, it's just they have to learn how to play with me now. That's the thing we all have to figure out."

However, she already is aware of the talent on the Lady Hawks roster. Stewarts Creek defeated MLK 56-47 this past season in the Thanksgiving Classic at Lebanon.

King said she went back and looked at the game film from the Lady Royals' loss during the interview process.

"They had some really good young guards," recalled King, referring to twin sisters Brianah and Brandi Ferby. "They really stood out on game film and on paper.

"We said then that they had three good guards on the floor at all times. Even when she subbed, she put more guards in."

King said a summer schedule and regular-season schedule was prepared by Jackson prior to her leaving for Blackman. Jackson replaced Chad Hibdon, who resigned after the Lady Blaze's second straight Class AAA state championship after being named the head coach at Truett-McConnell College, a NAIA school located in Cleveland, Georgia.

King will be the the fourth new girls basketball coach in the seven-team District 7-AAA next season and fifth new girls coach in Rutherford County.

King spent eight seasons at MLK, going to 56-9 over her final two seasons with back-to-back state tournament appearances. The Lady Royals went 28-6 this past season and won the TSSAA's Class AA state championship.

Stewarts Creek went 18-10 this past season and 24-31 in its first two seasons under Jackson. The Lady Hawks are searching its first Region 4-AAA tournament appearance.

King, who lives in Smyrna, said she was looking forward to coaching in Rutherford County, which has produced the past four Class AAA state champions in Riverdale (2012-13) and Blackman (2014-15).

"It's the most competitive district in the state," King said. "To raise up your level of play and coaching and compete in the district is going to be a challenge. I'm always looking for the next challenge.

"Living here, I've been to watch Blackman and Riverdale when we weren't playing at MLK," King said. "I was always interested in what they were doing."

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