Hendersonville boys basketball coach Kerry West resigns after 18 years

Hendersonville head boys basketball coach Kerry West resigned on Friday after 18 seasons leading the Commando program.

West sent his letter of resignation to principal Bob Cotter after meeting with the team to announce his decision to step down. West will remain as a teacher at Hendersonville.

“I just feel that it’s the right time with my kids’ age – they’re both into sports now and my wife and I are coaching both their teams,” West said. “I just feel that it’s a good time to step down and focus on family stuff. I sure don’t to miss them growing up.”

West took over in the 1998-99 season from his high school coach, Mike Brown, after spending two seasons as an assistant to Brown.

“Mr. Paul Decker hired me as a head coach after I was an assistant coach for two years,” West said. “I also would like to thank Coach Mike Brown for his years of service as my high school coach and also for was 23 years old when he hired me, and to get a (Class) AAA job at that young of an age, I was fortunate to have some great kids to be able to coach.”

West led Hendersonville to the state tournament in 2003 and won 267 games with the Commandos. Under his direction, Hendersonville won six regular season district titles, three district tournament championships, one region championship and made three sectional appearances.

West was also named District 9-AAA Coach of the Year four times – 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2006.

West also played at Hendersonville, helping the Commandos reach the state tournament for the first time in school history in 1992, reaching the Class AAA semifinals that season.

Hendersonville has struggled the last four years, losing in the first round of the District 9-AAA Tournament each time.

“The last couple of years have been a bit of a struggle,” West said. “But that’s just how life works. I’ve been fortunate to have that position for as long as I did and have the great kids and administrators that I’ve worked for. It’s definitely been a blessing.”

West is a member of the Belmont University Hall of Fame, having played four years for head coach Rick Byrd and helping the Bruins to 117 victories. West was named NAIA first-team All-American in the 1994-95 season and holds the school record for career steals (284), ranks second in career 3-pointers made (360) and career assists (745) and fifth in scoring (2,098).

Cotter said in an email that the school would begin talking to internal candidates and would move externally if necessary to find West’s successor.

Reach Chris Brooks at cbrooks@tennessean.com or 615-575-7118 and on Twitter @CBrooksTN.