Forrest girls basketball names TSSAA state championship coach John Wild to lead program

John Wild is coming home.

Wild has been named the new Forrest girls basketball coach, where he replaces Jessica Preston. Wild, who spent this school year as athletic director and girls coach at Santa Fe, has won three TSSAA basketball championships — Moore County (boys), Bradford (girls) and Riverdale (girls).

Wild lives less than five minutes from the Chapel Hill school. His wife, Susan Wild, is a guidance counselor at Forrest.

"For me, it's quality of life," Wild said. "It's four minutes from my house. It's where my wife went. It's where my children went. It's where my grandchildren will go.

"It's a place where I've spent the last 15 years of my life and built quality relationships with the people in that community. Those people have been genuine friends and will continue to be genuine friends for the rest of my career and the rest of my life. Just the fact to do it in your own hometown, and I consider this my place my hometown. It's really grown on me."

Forrest went 4-18 last season and lost in a District 9-2A tournament play-in game. Santa Fe went 11-17 and lost in a Region 5-1A quarterfinal.

Forrest has been to the TSSAA girls basketball state tournament nine times but none since 2009. The Lady Rockets won the 2006 Class A championship.

Wild hoped he could help bring the program back to getting to the state tournament.

"I'd like to be able to be the guy that put Forrest girls basketball back on the map to where it was in the Midstate to where it once was," Wild said. "I think we have a lot of those pieces in place here in the community to do that."

Wild is active in the Basketball Coaches Association of Tennessee, including being the president of the group.

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Forrest principal Angie Phifer said Wild's experience "and just the skill set he brings to the table" was a deciding factor in hiring Wild. It's the third school in three years for Wild, who was the girls basketball coach at Summit for four years before going to Santa Fe.

Wild has won more than 600 games as a head coach at various stops in the Nashville area. That included at Franklin for two years before going to Summit. He was also at Wilson Central, Franklin County and Lawrence County. And he had a stint as an assistant women's basketball coach at Lipscomb University.

Reach Tom Kreager at 615-259-8089 or tkreager@tennessean.com and on the X platform @Kreager.