NOW ... it's official

[OR nole]

Building the program for the future has been foremost on my mind. The kids need someone to look up to and identify with. I still feel Gaddis would have been a great choice, but Stevens is our coach and brings some things to the youth Gaddis may not have been able to.

 

Stevens is someone many young families already know and identify with. What team did Oak Ridgers follow second to the Wildcats? I always heard people in the stands wanting to know the AE score. In all honesty, it should be easier for a black family to sell their sons on the dream of playing for Coach Stevens. Everyone dances around the race issue, but I believe this to be true.

 

Coach Stevens has children being raised and playing ball here. Provided this job has longevity, his kids can have great influence on others. He will automatically be known to young ballplayers on a personal level just by being Dad. My son plays football with his son and mine was already talking about showing Coach Stevens what he can do at practice. Maybe I'm looking at this through rose colored glasses, but I see the little kids dreaming of the day they get old enough to finally play for the Wildcats and Coach Stevens.

[Central Bobcat]

Not true at all.

 

When and if I knew anything about the selection process, there was a story in the newspaper. I can honestly say I received no "leads" or "inside" information about anything, nor did I try very hard to find that.

 

I don't print rumors, which we all heard a bunch of.

 

I will stand up and say I feel VERY sorry for the time and effort that the advisory committee spent on this, only to have it seem like a waste. However, if you look at the name of the very committee and notice that advisory part, it pretty much tells the story that they were not in charge of the actual hiring.

 

An example for you, what if I had listened to all the advising I was getting Tuesday night and Wednesday morning to write a story welcoming coach Gaddis back to Oak Ridge? Then I would have spent Thursday morning making stories disappear from my website like Murphy Fair, KnoxNews.com, and many others.

 

No matter how people feel, there is a process that is in place. That process was followed and Oak Ridge has a coach in place. Those that did serve on the advisory organization, should be congratulated ... but of course we won't officially know whose hands to actually shake.

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Thanks a lot for setting the record straight, I had been given some false info that you been asked to investigate the situation before it took place. Glad you did not have to make a retraction ,but I did see it on here last night and it was correct. Central Bobcat

[HTV]

Anyone know the last time a 1st year coach won the state championship?

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Scott Meadows won it in his first year at Alcoa in 2000.

[OakRidgeCat]

Tank, I don't feel sorry for the selection committe, they did their job and did it the way they felt it should be done. They did a tough job and did it well. People have really overlooked the process, it worked as it was suppose to.

 

The committe was an advisory committe, they knew that going in. Once they made their selection they turned that over to the school authorities who had to take the process a step further and make sure the candidate met all their requirements as well and would provide the leadership/teaching skills that OR demands. They were hired to do that job and they did it. Just because some people don't like the way it turned out doesn't mean it didn't work, because it did. Carringer, Green, and finally Supt. Bailey made the tough decision. They all should be congratulated and thanked for their hard work.

 

Everything worked the way it was suppose to and now it is time to move on and go out and support the whole team, Coach, assistants, players and the like.

 

Welcome back to the Wildcat nation Coach Stevens!

 

ROLL WILDCATS ROLL!

[wildcat4lyfe2102]

Who will be the stars on this years football team? I want to know so i can be on the lookout for them and who will be fighting for the quarterback position? I know of Connor and Revel but is there anyone else that is going to get the opportunity to play at that position?

[riverdaleman]

the OR team in 2003 was probably good enough to win the state i went to that game against RIVERDALE and yall were clearly better than we were we had that big run at the end of the half to close the gap and it gave us a new life now last year 2004 we were the better team but you were much like we were the year before didnt yall have a LOT of young talent starting this past season kinda like RIVERDALE did in 03? i hope we get to play yall again and have another great battle between us

[REBELRON]

I am glad to see Stanton Stevens get the job. He is a 1st class gentleman. I believe he will do well there at Oak Ridge.