Morristown East's Smith resigns

[Big Daddy]

laduke,

 

I retired from teaching last May, so I am not as close to the sitiuation as before, but my guess is that Johnson will let the hiring process play out and take interviews from those that have applied. I will be shocked if Billy does not get the job, and feel he will do a good job if given the time.

 

yellowjacket2,

 

I only taught at East for three years, one and a half with Jerry T as principal, and one and a half with Gary Johnson as principal. I can only speak for myself, but both were good men to work for and I had absolutely no problem with either. Gary does not have the outgoing personality that Jerry T had but when I got to know him I found him to be a fair man to work for and consider him a good friend. I don't think Billy or any teacher that does their job would have a problem with him.

[yellowjacket2]

Big Daddy,

I didn't mean to make him sound like he not a good man. I just believe he has a tendency to jump the gun and pull the plug on things without really looking at the whole. Sorry to offend, if I did.

[Big Daddy]

Big Daddy,

I didn't mean to make him sound like he not a good man. I just believe he has a tendency to jump the gun and pull the plug on things without really looking at the whole. Sorry to offend, if I did.

 

You could be right, but making the many decisions a high school principal must make each day is a tough and sometimes thankless job. At a school of almost 1,400 students, and almost 100 faculty members you must sometimes step on toes you would rather not, but must be done none the less. With schools being held accountable in today's society it is not a job I would want, and as the old saying goes " the buck stops here " which is with the principal.

 

BTW it never offends me for someone to state their opinion.

[Sugarcane]

It looks like Billy Seals has been passed over for the head coaching job at East again. Too bad, in my opinion, for he is qualified and has paid his dues. I guess it pays not to be a local kid and try to coach at your alma mater.

 

The new head coach is Dwayne Hatcher. I do not know him and he may be a fine coach, but red flags go up when you read his resume and he never seems to stay at one school for more than 3-4 years. He spent the past four years as an offensive coordinator at Trion Ga. H.S. and before that he was a head coach at two different high schools, one in Georgia, and one in South Carolina not spending as much as four years at either one.

 

His track record at least on the outside would suggest he is not the person to build a program around.

[PTSportsWriter]

It looks like Billy Seals has been passed over for the head coaching job at East again. Too bad, in my opinion, for he is qualified and has paid his dues. I guess it pays not to be a local kid and try to coach at your alma mater.

 

The new head coach is Dwayne Hatcher. I do not know him and he may be a fine coach, but red flags go up when you read his resume and he never seems to stay at one school for more than 3-4 years. He spent the past four years as an offensive coordinator at Trion Ga. H.S. and before that he was a head coach at two different high schools, one in Georgia, and one in South Carolina not spending as much as four years at either one.

 

His track record at least on the outside would suggest he is not the person to build a program around.

 

Hatcher was an applicant and reportedly one of 7 finalists for the Cocke County job.

 

He is originally from the East TN area and wants to come back home.

He was a former offensive coordinator at Tusculum in the mid 1990s.

[easthurricane2004]

Seals was the reason Smith was encouraged to resign. It was in the works by Johnson to put him in as the head man as Seals was threatening to leave. Seals is still very immature around the boys and the parents really made a scene when they heard he would be the replacement. They have a man on the school board that thinks he owns the school and his boy plays. Smith stuck his neck out and received a lot of criticism for playing the boy. He undoubtedly didn't play him enough! I guess money and position can get you anything!

 

It looks like Billy Seals has been passed over for the head coaching job at East again. Too bad, in my opinion, for he is qualified and has paid his dues. I guess it pays not to be a local kid and try to coach at your alma mater.

 

The new head coach is Dwayne Hatcher. I do not know him and he may be a fine coach, but red flags go up when you read his resume and he never seems to stay at one school for more than 3-4 years. He spent the past four years as an offensive coordinator at Trion Ga. H.S. and before that he was a head coach at two different high schools, one in Georgia, and one in South Carolina not spending as much as four years at either one.

 

His track record at least on the outside would suggest he is not the person to build a program around.

[roger]

How is Seals inmature around the boys. I know kids who play for East and they love him. Is it wrong for a coach to have a relationship with the kids besides what the athlete can do for the coach on the field. I think that you have been given bad information. Have you ever played for Coach Seals or are you one of those so called know it alls. There seems to be a whole lot of football coaches in Morristown or they seem to think so. I wish seals the best and east high school is going to lose an outstanding person and coach.

[easthurricane2004]

You're the one that doesn't know what you're talking about. YES, I do have close ties...does having a kid play for him count? I've witnessed his remarks around younger kids and his attitude. There's a difference in being a high school friend and a peer who is suppose to have mature qualities. So I do know first hand, not hear say. My butt has always been in the stands cheering our team on, which there was nothing wrong with our program at all in the last 3 years. It had progressed and was becoming a strong program. Went from the low 30s to 70 plus players in 3 years. Seals is a good man, a young man that needs to act like a teacher/coach instead of a teenager.

 

 

How is Seals inmature around the boys. I know kids who play for East and they love him. Is it wrong for a coach to have a relationship with the kids besides what the athlete can do for the coach on the field. I think that you have been given bad information. Have you ever played for Coach Seals or are you one of those so called know it alls. There seems to be a whole lot of football coaches in Morristown or they seem to think so. I wish seals the best and east high school is going to lose an outstanding person and coach.

[Big Daddy]

You're the one that doesn't know what you're talking about. YES, I do have close ties...does having a kid play for him count? I've witnessed his remarks around younger kids and his attitude. There's a difference in being a high school friend and a peer who is suppose to have mature qualities. So I do know first hand, not hear say. My butt has always been in the stands cheering our team on, which there was nothing wrong with our program at all in the last 3 years. It had progressed and was becoming a strong program. Went from the low 30s to 70 plus players in 3 years. Seals is a good man, a young man that needs to act like a teacher/coach instead of a teenager.

 

easthurricane2004,

 

Everybody is entitled to their opinion, but I too had a son that played for him. I can tell you this much my son loved playing for him and would run through a wall for him. My son heads into spring practice as the #1 QB at a very good Division II University with a 100% full athletic scholarship. Coach Seals, unlike many coaches who once you are finished playing for them have no use for you was VERY instumental in helping with his college recruitment and continues to call him occasionally to check on his progress. When he was home for the summer and needed a place to work out it was Billy Seals that dropped what he was doing and opened up the weight room for him and helped him work out.

 

I too had close ties not only having a son that played for him with my butt in the stands cheering at every game home or away, but also teaching with him for three years. ( do you also teach at East or another Hamblen school?) I think maybe you are mistaking youthful exuberance, and excitement as a coach for immaturity. Does Billy coach with a little fire, absolutely. Does he sometimes chew players out if they don't give the type of effort he demands, absolutely. Bottom line if a kid can't take that they don't need to be out there.

 

I certainly hope that Billy stays, but I would not blame him if he left for greener pastures, and if he does it will be the Canes loss.

Edited March 17, 2006 by Big Daddy

[PTSportsWriter]

I do not know what happened.....

 

And Hatcher may be a good coach

 

But I firmly feel Morristown East messed up royally by not hiring Billy Seals.

[stooge]

What has transpired is typical Morristown East and hamblen county mentality.

 

They allow young and enthusiastic coaches to work like a dog and put alot on them and when it is time for the coachess to get rewarded with an opportunity they pass them over for an outsider.

 

They are not looking at the picture long term.

 

The last two coaches were quick fixes and in all honesty, I do not see Johnson as the problem this time. There were too many people wanting a piece of the glory and some of them should have stayed at home. I am saying the committee was a little too large.

 

The rumor is from Hatcher's past you have not seen anything from Seals like you are going to see from this coach.

 

Some one did not do their background check.

[Sugarcane]

What has transpired is typical Morristown East and hamblen county mentality.

 

They allow young and enthusiastic coaches to work like a dog and put alot on them and when it is time for the coachess to get rewarded with an opportunity they pass them over for an outsider.

 

They are not looking at the picture long term.

 

The last two coaches were quick fixes and in all honesty, I do not see Johnson as the problem this time. There were too many people wanting a piece of the glory and some of them should have stayed at home. I am saying the committee was a little too large.

 

The rumor is from Hatcher's past you have not seen anything from Seals like you are going to see from this coach.

 

Some one did not do their background check.

 

Talk about hitting the nail on the head. Well said and 100% true on all accounts. It is obvious whomever you are you have been there and know the process.

 

I have never understood the mentality that if they are not from around here they are somehow better qualified to do the job. The way this new coach has bounced around from school to school makes one think he must carry some baggage.

Edited March 18, 2006 by Sugarcane