Coach Darden Out at CAK

[bigmontana]

Being a former player of Coach Darden's, I have been keeping up with all of this nonsense for the last few months. From what I have heard, people were claiming that he was not a good Christian influence, which Cates, Shnikens, and Bergil24 will laugh out the door. He did always read a Bible verse before practice along with a life lesson. He taught me so much about the Christian life, more than any other coach did in my three years under Coach Darden. He is a difficult coach to play for, because he demands exellence, and pays extreme attention to detail. He is not easy on anyone, trust me, because I had it the worst. He always told it like it was, whether it was good or bad. He always praised and encouraged you when you did something well. He was a very honest coach, and everyone who played for him appreciated that and loved him for it. To say he was not a very good basketball coach is would mean you would have had to never seen him coach or one of his teams play. He took a CAK team to the State Tournament, with a little talent, and at least eight other teams before his stint at CAK. I am ashamed to be a CAK graduate, and to have had anything to do with the place. If it were not for Rusty, I would certainly never go back. Sometime parents have to realize their kids are not perfect, and are not going to be the next Michael Jordan. If 599 wins, at least 8 state tournaments, being in the Hall of Fame, and being the best role model on CAK's campus is not enough, I will never know what is.

[downtown247]

I know that many of you played for Coach Darden and have great memories about your time with him. My story is a little different at the beginning, but ends in a very positive manner. Just before my senior year began my high school team played at a summer camp st Bearden High. During one of those games Coach Darden was reffing because his Carter team was playing and he had agreed to help out. Being typical smartmouthed teenager I began giving Darden a lot of lip about some of the calls he was making. He ended up hitting me with a T. My team lost that game by 2 points! That moment forced me to sit down and really evaluate my attitude and my actions. I made a point to apologize to him the next day. I have only been issued one tech since my encounter with Coach Darden, and that came a decade later. That was my only interaction with him, and it ended in s surprisingly positive manner. I can only imagine the way his former players must feel about him. /thumb[1].gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":thumb:" border="0" alt="thumb[1].gif" />

[purpletiger69]

When I first began hearing that Coach Darden's job was in jeopardy I prayed that the outcome would be whatever was best for him. I truly believe that is what happened. God has something better planned for him! I was once fired from a job and am eternally grateful.

[GovMan]

Familiar with Coach Darden mainly by reputation only. Know that he's coached in the Knoxville area for years. Know that he is a close friend to Maryville College Coach Randy Lambert, which makes him okay in my book. No doubt with his winning %, he knows his x's and o's. Hearing the praise from his former players speaks volumes to me.

 

I do want to make one GENERAL comment ... not to reflect at all on Coach Darden or impose any judgement towards him.

 

Reading a Bible verse before every practice and saying a prayer at the end of practices and games, does not necessarily make anyone a great Christian coach. Those things are fairly easy for anyone to do. It is the life you model between those things ... at practices, in the community, at games, etc. It is speaking things to your players and then letting them see those things actually come to bear in your life. It is "talking the talk" but more importantly, you must follow that up with "walking the walk." I fear that on every level now ... high school, college, & pros that if someone wins games, we are willing to conveniently overlook major character issues.

 

I want my kids to be treated with respect and dignity by their coaches in high school. I want to the know their coach loves them and loves what he/she is doing. I'm okay with them being "chewed out" by their coaches as long as the coach has done a good job of letting them know "I'm chewing out your actions on the floor, field, etc. ... I'm not attacking YOU personally." I DO believe if coaches aren't careful they can carry the screaming, yelling, chewing out too far. I was personally confronted last year after coaching a 16U AAU girls game by a parent who said, and I quote, "You are too nice to these kids." Guilty as charged ... if that makes me a not-so-great coach, then I'm okay with that.

 

I'm sorry for the sermon, but I thought it fit. Once again, please understand the above diatribe is completely generic. I in no way am making a statement about Coach Darden. From everything I've read on here from his friends and former players, Coach meets all of the good criteria that I mention above. The closest I've been to him was last summer at a camp at Maryville College that my son attended. From listening to him just briefly I got the idea, I'd love to just hang around this guy for several hours and listen to him tell stories about basketball and about life. You could tell he had some real wisdom in these areas.

[theusainboltofhstrack]

Steve Denny on Coach D's dismissal...

 

no comment.

 

SD is a joke.

[pinseeker11]

Coach Darden has been a significant figure in the development of my life both as a basketball player, and also and a Christian man. He began showing interest in me my freshman year, knowing that even though I was small, I could be a ball player for him one day. For the next 4 years, Coach Darden would talk to me at school, work with me at practice, and even call me on my cell phone when I was at home to talk basketball with me. He was always checking to see how I was doing, both on and off the court. Coach Darden showed me how to be passionate about something in life. I saw how everyday he would come to practice, no matter what was going on off the court, and would be ready to go through the day, and love every minute he was there. He always put the team first and was committed to it before anything else during basketball season. His love for the game and passion for teaching it to high schoolers has left an impression on me that I will walk with forever. I now know how to pursue something with all I have because I have personally seen it from him for 4 years.

 

Coach Darden, Thank You for all you did for me, and for giving me a chance. I'll be a fan of you wherever you go!

[rhosking]

Coach Darden was a coach that loved basketball, and he loved teaching the game of basketball. I would give anything in the world to have the opportunity top play for him again. Unfortunately I only got one season in 2004 to learn from him. However I owe all the credit to him for transforming me from a T/O prone inconsistent shooting guard lacking confidence into a co-mvp point guard as a senior averaging 15 points a game. He was old school which some immature students did not have the guts to take criticism. For those that actually loved basketball like Darden does we saw beyond the surface of the harsh and blunt approach he took, he was very demanding putting aside his concerns of his popularity but caring more about making you a better and more disciplined player. Those kids just did not take advantage of a great coach that could have made them a much better player and a more competitive person.

[rhosking]

To answer your general post about being a christian influence in your actions I agree that simply reading bible verses does not reflect in the complete sense of the word christian, but it was the things he did that were not script from the bible that truly were. My senior year I learned from him that to get what you want in life you have step up and take it. He took a job with terrible pay coaching basketball at a tragically soccer school, inheriting a squad that lost 5 eniors from the season before all for the opportunity to teach the game he loves at a small christian school to players begging for coaching like his. He gave it everything he had expected nothing less from us. This is the greatest lesson I learned, and one that has paid of in college that will now apply to my newly begginning profession soon after I graduate in May. The lession is simple: Always be going at maximum effort and settle for nothing less than excellence. To get what you want in life go beyond what may be comfortable or familiar and expect more from yourself and push yourself and the fruits of these habits enrich all areas of life.

[LuLu1945]

I have worked at CAK for 10+ years and have tought with Johnny Darden since his arrival at CAK. I can assure you the faculty is VERY upset with the actions taken in the past week by the board and administration. Why aren't we speaking up? We are afraid to! We are all wondering...will we be next?A fine Christian man who was known all over East Tennessee has been fired. We don't understand why. The man was doing his job with the little talent that he had to work with.I read that the administration talked to parents during games and heard their complaints about Coach Darden. Why was the administration not watching the game and Coach Darden? I understand that one administrator who was intricately involved in the firing decision was only at 1 game this year. I do realize the AD was in attendance most of the time but shouldn't he have been watching the game?I'm a teacher and I want to know: if parents complain about my teaching will you talk to those parents or will you observe my skills in the classroom? I can't help but wonder. Are you "cleaning house" in the athletic department or all of CAK? Seems to me that problems start at the top!!!! Maybe thats where the cleaning needs to start.

[835Jo]

Coach Darden is a good and faithful man. From his record and the testimonials, he is also an excellent coach. Yes, he may be blunt and that is great. He is also honest and compassionate. The whiney, spoiled CAK parents set a very poor example for their boys who should be on their way to becoming young men. This harms the kids. The CAK adminstrators, beginning with the superintendent on down should be ashamed. This fine man took this program to a higher level--a level previously not seen at CAK. But the whiney, spoiled parents and the guilty among their administrators apparently "knew better"--he was not good enough for them. This was a rough year for poor Johnny--a young team and his well-documented battle with cancer. Then this nonsense--this bunch behaved without a bit of class. But Johnny is a good, faithful, and compassionate man. He is the type that does not ever want any of his detractors to be treated as they have treated him. I know that there are good people working at CAK and good parents. But if you are among these, you will know no doubt agree that the treatment of Johnny Darden by the CAK "in-crowd" is foolish, classless, and a dishonor to the God that some of them may claim to believe. May they find a place to repent. And I pity the CAK staff who may know better, who must endure this travesty on their fellow team member, if speaking up does indeed mean losing their jobs--and if this is the way decisions are made there, then they probably have reason to fear if they speak up. As for you, Johnny Darden God bless you, and I know He has and will continue to.

[rhosking]

This is Courtney Hosking,wow this ridiculous. I was a student of coach Darden and loved him. He made a boring Wellness class into something fun and worth taking. I,also had the great opportunity to watch him transform my brother into an even better basketball player. Getting the chance to see them beat Webb was priceless. I think CAK made a huge mistake in letting a great coach go because some kids couldn't handle criticism. I cant wait to see some of these kids go to college and realize the world doesnt revolve around them.

[bulldog15]

Has anyone applied for this job?