LeNorris Staples takes over at Middle College

One of the area's best jack-of-all-trades assistants is finally getting his chance to move into the big chair.

After a lengthy search process, Middle College on Thursday named LeNorris Staples as its new head football coach. He'll replace Kendrick Wade, who resigned at the end of January to take a college assistant's job.

Staples has spent the last 14 seasons as an assistant, with the last two coming at Southwind under coach Rahnmann Slocum, He was a head coach for one season at now-closed Treadwell.

"It's been a long journey," he said. "I've coached just about every position on the football field; 14 years to get back into the hot seat. I'm very excited and honored. Middle College has a vision and a culture."

Part of that culture is strong academics, which Staples said was one of the main reasons he was drawn to the job.

"You've got to get your books before you getting on the field," he said. "I'm going to be working with students who are self-motivated, academically disciplined and socially responsible."

And pretty good at football. Wade was the only coach in the Bulldogs' three-year varsity history and took them to the Class 1A playoffs twice. After going 4-2 while playing an abbreviated varsity season in 2014, Middle College finished 6-4 in 2015 and 6-5 in 2016, losing in the first round both times.

"Coach Wade left a great foundation," said Staples. "And I plan to uphold that."

An all-star quarterback at Northside, Staples played collegiately at Austin Peay, where he was a four-year standout in the secondary.

"Coach Staples brings an infectious passion and intensity as well as knowledge of the game of football that will undoubtedly have an immediate impact on our program," Middle College athletic director Reed Willis said in an e-mail to The Commercial Appeal. "I am confident that he is the coach to take Middle College to the next level."

Willis said Staples will immediately start putting a staff in place and beginning spring and summer workouts.

Ridgeway star coming home

Homecomings are usually nice. And Khalil Spencer is hoping a return to Memphis will help get his basketball career where he wants it to be.

Spencer told The Commercial Appeal on Thursday that he had been granted his release from Tennessee State and will transfer to Southwest Tennessee, where he'll be eligible for the 2017-18 season.

The 6-4, 230-pounder appeared in just five games as a freshman before redshirting this past season.

"I'm grateful for the opportunity that (head) coach Dana Ford and (assistant) coach Rodney Hamilton gave me," Spencer said. "But I just feel like my best opportunity for my future is somewhere else."

As a senior at Ridgeway, he averaged 20.4 points per game.

Reach John Varlas at john.varlas@commercialappeal.com or on Twitter @johnvarlas.