E.J. Perry named new Westmoreland girls basketball head coach

Westmoreland High School has named E.J. Perry as the new girls’ basketball head coach.

Perry, the school’s athletic director, was an assistant to longtime head coach Cherie Abner for the past three seasons. Abner stepped down in March after 20 seasons leading the Lady Eagles.

“I am very excited about getting this opportunity so early in my career,” Perry said. “Girls basketball (in Westmoreland) has a great tradition. I’m very blessed to have been a part of it for three years as an assistant.”

Abner handed Perry more responsibility in the past couple of seasons, essentially setting him up to take over the job.

“I am also very grateful for the freedom and responsibility Coach Abner let me have with the team in the last three years, allowing me to have a lot of input in practice and game planning,” Perry said.

He’ll take over a squad that will look vastly different from the past two seasons. Westmoreland lost five seniors to graduation, including two 1,000-point scorers – Kaitlyn Norman and Karley Smith.

“The dynamics and make up of our team may look different, but we are still going to hang our hats on hard work and defense,” Perry said.

Perry, a 2010 graduate of Westmoreland, was a three-year standout for the Eagles, scoring more than 1,700 points in his career.

“It is always special to be able to come back to your hometown and coach basketball,” Perry said. “After being away for four years in college, I didn’t know where I would end up.”

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