BREAKING: Levi Estes hired as new Dresden football coach
JACKSON – Dresden High School principal Chuck West entered the Lions’ football locker room on Friday and had an important announcement for the players on who their next head coach would be.
The search didn’t go far as defensive coordinator Levi Estes was announced as the next head coach for the program that won the Class 1A state championship last year.
West confirmed Friday through an email the naming of the Lions’ next head football coach.
“It was like a party in there after Coach West told them,” said Estes, who is currently also the interim baseball coach and was leading the team into the District 13-A tournament at Huntingdon. “All the guys seemed to be happy that I was named the coach.”
The Lions averaged 9.8 points allowed per game in the team’s undefeated state championship run.
That defensive performance included five shutouts in the first seven weeks of the season.
Estes replaces Derek Rang, who resigned from the program in March to take the head coaching position at Gatlinburg Pittman.
Estes played high school ball at Dyersburg and college ball at Bethel. He first coached as a student teaching assistant at Henry County and helped at Obion County before making the move to Dresden last year.
Estes said the plan right now is to keep things similar for the defense as the Lions ran a 3-4 set and will probably keep things similar on offense as well.
“I learned a lot from Coach Rang, and what he did on offense I think will work well with the talent we have coming back next year,” Estes said.
The new coach said he’s sure there will be high expectations and a target on the Lions’ back because of their success last year, but neither of those are anything he plans to shy away from.
“I want to win every game, and I know everybody in this program feels the same way,” Estes said. “But this region we’re in won’t be a walk in the park.
“We’re going to get everybody’s best shot, and there are some good teams in it.”
Reach Brandon Shields at bjshields@jacksonsun.com or at 425-9751. Follow him on Twitter @JSEditorBrandon or on Instagram at jacksonsunsports.
