Gatlinburg-Pittman names Derek Rang as football coach
Dresden’s Derek Rang has been hired as football coach at Gatlinburg-Pittman High School, the school announced on Tuesday.
Rang compiled a 32-8 record in three seasons at Dresden, including a perfect 15-0 season a year ago that was capped by a Class 1A state championship.
Rang replaces Benny Hammonds, who retired on Feb. 23 after 45 seasons at Gatlinburg-Pittman. In his time with the Highlanders, Hammonds posted a 347-165 record. His 348 career wins — he went 1-8-1 during a one-year stint with Cocke County in 1969 — ranks fourth all-time in the state of Tennessee behind Alcoa’s Gary Rankin (397), St. George’s Ken Netherland (368) and Brentwood Academy’s Carlton Flatt (355).
"I would like to thank Dr. Jack Parton, of Sevier County Schools, and Tony Ogle and AJ Bennett of Gatlinburg-Pittman High School for giving me the opportunity to be the next head football coach at Gatlinburg-Pittman,” Rang said in a Gatlinburg-Pittman release. “I have the utmost respect for the program coach Benny Hammonds has built over the last 45 years, and, while following a legend will not be easy, I feel we will continue the tradition of excellence on the field, in the classroom, and in the community of Gatlinburg that Coach Hammonds has established.
“I cannot wait to join the school and community and start working with the wonderful people of Gatlinburg-Pittman.”
Rang has plenty of ties to East Tennessee, beginning with his playing days at Maryville High School and Maryville College. He began his coaching career as an assistant football coach at Anderson County and also has stints as an assistant coach at Carson-Newman and as a defensive coordinator at South-Doyle and West.
His first head coaching job was with Powell in 2012, where he went 12-2 and led the Panthers to a berth in the 5A state semifinals. He resigned shortly after his first season, however, due to an investigation regarding allegations of testing irregularities during an End of Course Algebra II test he was administering and that he left the class unattended during the testing.
