Joey Reed steps down after 15 years as Eagleville boys basketball coach

Eagleville's boys basketball program has had two head coaches over the past 30 years.

The most recent of those has stepped down after 15 years at the helm of the Eagles.

Joey Reed, who won 235 games, has resigned, saying he wanted to focus on family.

"I have coached for 18 years at Eagleville and the head coach for 15 years, and my family has sacrificed a lot to let me do something I loved," Reed said. "I feel like it's time for me to support them."

Reed will continue teaching at Eagleville.

"Coach Reed has been part of the fabric, not only of Eagleville basketball but our community," said Eagleville principal Bill Tollett. "We're fortunate that he's staying on as a business teacher in our school."

Reed's 2017-18 team went 17-12 (8-2 in District 8-A), falling in the Region 4-A quarterfinals against LEAD Academy in overtime after a controversy involving the scoreboard at the end of regulation.

More:TSSAA denies Eagleville complaint of alleged scoring errors in region loss at LEAD Academy

Reed said the disappointing ending to the season was no factor in his decision.

"That region game would have been the only thing that would have brought me back," said Reed. "And that is not the reason to come back."

Reed's Eagleville teams reached three consecutive sectionals from 2007-09. The Eagles' best season under him came in 2007-08 when they reached the Class A state tournament (falling to Moore County 71-63 in the quarterfinals) and finished 26-8.

The 2005-06 team went 26-5 before falling to Nashville Christian in the Region 5-A semifinals.

Reed's teams won 20 or more games five times.

"I truly believe that the Eagleville basketball job is one of the best in the state," Reed said. "You have support everywhere you turn in the school and the community.

"You get to watch kids grow up from (pre-kindergarten) all the way until they graduate in 15 years. I have had the opportunity to watch many of those kids grow and become great players. That is also one of the hardest reasons to leave and why the school has only had two basketball coaches in 30 years."

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