Oak Ridge

[dragonsn05]

According to the rumors, today is the day. It should be a doozy, I was told that it will be a shock. Is it going to be long time assistant Coach Ron Gray, he has paid his dues, he scores points, and from what I read on here he is a player favorite. Or will they update to the 21st Century and pick a minority native son from AE. Coach Stevens is a fine coach, with a state title in 3A, and he can feed the lines to people like no other or is it time for compassion, the return of the last state champion head coach, Joe Gaddis. Knowing Oak Ridge I am sure this thing is out of control by now and there are backdoor deals being cut left and right. Well at least that's the word out here in middle TN. My choice is still General Neyland, clone him!

[OR nole]

Here's some interesting information:

 

In 1982, Gaddis went 7-4 in his first season at head coach at Tullahoma. The Wildcats were 1-9 the year before he arrived and 7-23 the previous three seasons. Tullahoma had 27 varsity players in 1981, but 71 for Gaddis' first season.

 

Oak Ridge was coming off an 8-4 season and a 51-0 loss to Jefferson County when Gaddis took over in 1988. The player count jumped from 49 to 97 in his first season and OR finished 12-1.

 

Gaddis' third stop saw Pascagoula (Miss.) improve from 4-7 to 5-5 in 1999 and the varsity grow from 21 to 68 players. The Pascagoula booster club had one member when Gaddis arrived on the scene. When he left, it had 100.

 

At Decatur (AL), the Bears went from 59 players prior to Gaddis. They had 95 in Gaddis' first year.

 

I'm not trying to sell Gaddis. I think it is down to Gray and Stevens. The Gaddis information shows how a program can be built. Oak Ridge should be the BEST program in the state. Find the answer to why Riverdale is better than OR. Oak Ridge has the potential to be a much better program, but it also has the potential to decline based on decisions being made right now. For selfish reasons, I look at the hire as the key to the future, not just a state title in 2005.

[AERoadrunners]

It's been Stevens and Gray for the longest, please just go ahead and announce a coach!!!

[GABulldawgs]

Herd it is fixin to get real ugly in da Rdige.

[OllieShaggnasty]

The cluster in o.r. almost as good as a goo goo cluster.

Edited April 13, 2005 by OllieShaggnasty

[AERoadrunners]

Way to finally make a decision however was this the best decision? Why pick a coach that has left you once?