Charles “Chuck” Dutton has had several coaching opportunities of late, but after prayful consideration, they never seemed to be the right move.

After receiving the opportunity to lead the Section varsity girls basketball program, Dutton got a different feeling that those past opportunities.

“Prayed about it, thought about and this time I had a peace about it,” Dutton said. “Things just fell into place.”

Dutton has been hired as the Lions head coach. He started workouts and practice with the team last week and began taking the Lions to summer play dates this week.

“It was a little chaotic at first with all the things that happen (in a coaching transition), but I’m getting to know the kids and they’re getting to know me and how we’re going to do things.”

Dutton replaces Jason Ford, who resigned in April after five years as Section’s head coach and four years as the school’s softball coach. 

Dutton comes to Section from Crossville High School and is a 2001 Collinsville alum.

Dutton was a two-time all-state football player at Collinsville, where he finished his career as DeKalb County’s all-time leading rusher. He then taught and coached junior high and junior varsity girls and boys basketball at Collinsville before working as a football assistant at Crossville on the coaching staff there for then Crossville head coach and current Section head coach Riley Edwards. Dutton and Edwards were high school teammates and Dutton is planning to assist Edwards this football season at Section.

Dutton had been looking to get back into coaching basketball for several seasons, but said the opportunity at Section was the first one he felt was the right move for him and his family. Dutton’s daughters, rising senior Kylee Dutton and rising eighth-grader Baylee Dutton, are transferring to Section from Plainview to play for their father.

“As a dad I’m really excited about that,” Coach Dutton said. “I gave them the option and they both came to the decision that they wanted to do this, so I’m excited for the opportunity to coach them.”

Section finished 13-13 last season and lost to eventual Northeast Regional finalist North Sand Mountain in the Class 2A Area 16 Tournament semifinals. 

Last year’s 13 wins were the program’s most in seven years, and Dutton said the Lions will look to build on that positive momentum.

“I know the varsity has a good older group,” he said. “They’ve got (varsity) experience and that’s a positive, and we’re going to let those girls lead. There’s a lot to build on. We want to build on what they’ve done and also build the younger ones up and get it going (on all levels).”

Dutton wants the Lions to be a team that plays hard from the tip-off to the final buzzer.

“The first we’ve got to do is control the controlables, which are attitude and effort. The girls have had that. I’ve watched their films from last year and basically scouted them like an opposing coach, and one thing I love is they play hard," Dutton said. “One thing I want people to see when they watch us play is that we play with great attitude and effort, especially on defense, that we communicate and that we’re physical and box out. We’ve got to protect the basketball and be a team that when the other team shoots, they better make it because they’re not getting a second (shot). I want us to be a team that plays hard and physical till the horn sounds and we shake hands.”

 

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