Jackson Christian, Scotts Hill, Dresden coaches got head start with players as assistants

There are five new head coaches in rural West Tennessee high school football so far in 2017.

Four of those coaches are first-time head coaches, and three of those four were promoted from within their programs after one or two years as an assistant coach.

Jackson Christian’s Darby Palmer, Scotts Hill’s Daniel Duncan and Dresden’s Levi Estes think the time they’ve already spent with the program will do nothing but help them get a faster start on establishing their program in their first year in charge.

Palmer was offensive coordinator under former Eagles coach Todd Roland for two years before being promoted in November. So he’s had about seven months to get acclimated to the new position while taking the team through spring practice.

“I’m a relationship guy, so I think the biggest advantage was to already have those relationships established,” Palmer said. “It probably took me the entire month of June when I first got here for the players and me to really get to know each other and see how we would work together.

“But I also had a good start on that because I’d already coached a few of them helping in basketball leading up to that point in the spring.”

Estes and Duncan both have helped coach multiple sports at their respective schools as well.

Duncan arrived late in the summer of 2016 as an assistant football coach but was in the dugout for baseball when he could be this past spring after former coach Michael Stroup left for University School of Jackson at the end of April. His exit left a gap in baseball because he was Carl Harken’s assistant coach on the diamond.

“One of the main things I’ve learned about the kids here at Scotts Hill is how hard a lot of them are willing to work to try to be successful,” Duncan said. “Now it’s time to let them know they’re expected to continue to have that work ethic in the weight room and conditioning and in practice and drills.

“That’s how this program has been successful the last couple years, and hopefully they’ve come to expect the same thing from me already.”

Estes was Dresden's defensive coordinator during their undefeated run to the state championship last year. He was also an assistant baseball coach who became the interim head coach when Derek Rang vacated both positions when he left for Gatlinburg Pittman in March.

He said his main advantage was his knowledge of the personnel coming back to Dresden this year.

“A lot of people on the outside of this program think the senior class that graduated after last year was all we had,” Estes said. “And as talented as that group was, there are still some good players here that will keep Dresden competing for championships and playoff runs.

“I know these guys, and they know me. They have an understanding of what I will expect out of them, and I have a good understanding of how to motivate each of them individually. So I think that will help me in terms of getting these players in the spots where they need to be quicker and instead of having to get used to an entirely new coaching staff or head coach with a completely different set of ideas and methods than what they’ve been doing the past four years.”

Reach Brandon Shields at bjshields@jacksonsun.com or at 731-425-9751. Follow him on Twitter @JSEditorBrandon or on Instagram at jacksonsunsports.