Siegel hires Shawn Middleton as new girls basketball coach

Siegel High principal Larry Creasy didn't have to look far for the school's new head girls basketball coach.

Longtime Rutherford County area coach Shawn Middleton has been hired to take over the Lady Stars program.

Creasy announced the decision Wednesday afternoon.

"He had a lot of success at Smyrna and he knows how to build a program," said Creasy of Middleton, whose last head coaching stint was with the Smyrna girls program. "He's a great motivator."

Middleton replaces the only girls basketball coach the school has had. Alan Bush resigned following this past season in which Siegel went 4-22.

"I'm most excited about getting to follow in Coach Bush," said Middleton. "He's a remarkable person and it's a great opportunity to follow in his footsteps.

"I'm excited. We have a great group of girls here. I''ll take what I learned at Smyrna - what worked and what didn't."

Middleton was an assistant on the Stars boys squad this past season and is also an assistant football coach at Siegel.

At Smyrna from 1998-2015, he coached football, boys and girls basketball, baseball and was an assistant softball coach on the 2013 Class AAA state championship squad.

"No. 1, he's a great basketball coach," Creasy said. "We know how well he turned around Smyrna after they had struggled there.

"Also a big thing is his passion for students and relationships."

Creasy received about 20 emails and had three finalists interviewed for the position.

"I was very pleased with the finalists we had for the position," Creasy said. "He was already here, and the success he's had, we felt he was the best fit."

Middleton served a one-year suspension by Rutherford County Schools and was ultimately replaced at Smyrna following the 2014-15 season following a District 7-AAA Tournament game against Riverdale in which both teams attempted to lose to earn a more favorable region seed.

That was not a factor in the decision by Creasy, who consulted with Rutherford County Director of Schools Don Odom prior to the hire.

"(Middleton) served his suspension and did what he was supposed to do," Creasy said. "He admitted he made a mistake and moved on. It's water under the bridge."

Reach Cecil Joyce at cjoyce@dnj.com or 615-278-5168 and on Twitter @Cecil_Joyce.