Coaching Changes in Knoxville at Farragut and OR

[orcat]

Jayme Smith, the Oak Ridge coach and David Moore, the Farragut coach both resigned last week leaving (2) big holes to fill. Both were in the Region tournament and stepped down to spend more time with family. That makes next year interesting. Alot of rumors about replacements are going around, including coaches from other schools.

 

In the greater Knoxville area, the jobs rank in order as follows:

 

1)Anderson County

2)Farragut

3)Oak Ridge

4)Catholic

5)Karns

6)Maryville

 

AC pays the most for coaches, Oak Ridge second. OR, Catholic and Maryville pay the most for teachers. Knox County pays the least for teachers, and coaches, but under the new pay rules can negotiate pay.

 

Karns has a great team this year, but will lose alot of students to Hardin Valley a new school that is next door, so this year is their best shot at a title then talent will stop dropping.

 

AC with the sheer number of ex players and coaches will probably stay in-house for a while which means the OR and Farragut jobs are nice openings. Both schools will hire non-faculty coaches, and offer well established programs with a great talent base. Expect the Catholic and Karns coaches to show interest, as well as someone from the AC tree. Maryville is such a great place to teach that they won't leave, but I suspect alot of talk is going to happen.

 

Both schools are proud of their programs and will want an established coach. Under the new rules the school can negotiate pay scale, and both schools have alot of money to put on the table. The Karns coach would be a great fit at OR and the catholic coach would work well at Farragut. It would be a step up for both. Expect the AD's to go after both. The last time OR was open they recruited away an AC asst coach, and like going with a known. This is the best coaching opportunity in Knoxville for a while. Farragut's coach has been there since 1981.

 

Watch these jobs.

[clifford20]

Hate to hear that Farragut's coach is leaving...he seems to be a terrific guy and has built a great program.

[only1coach]

Any news now that state is over about coaches applying for these to great jobs. If you get the right coach in either one of these jobs, the schools could maintain or exceed what they have done in the past. I haven't heard for sure, but somebody said other coaches in the area are thinking about applying. What good coaches are in the knoxville area and could take this big step? Are there any no volleyball schools that have a good coach that might want take a jump to a volleyball school?

[bigfoot1200]

Orcat,

Your comment is pure speculation for replacements at this time. You are omitting a few options from outside the current 'high school' pool. Also- your comment regarding Karns is premature or late either way is incorrect about students going to Hardin Valley. The largest damage was done last year and this year and the Karns team still went to state. The opening of Hardin Valley Academy created a landslide of students that effected but did not deplete all the Karns' useful talent. Hardin Valley is now over crowded based on preliminary enrollment goals and will not continue to allow out-of-zone students to enroll. No doubt, Hardin Valley will grow and prosper in every area as it becomes more established.

 

Coach Williams has almost all returning players (who went to state) and therefore would be unlikely to want to transfer anywhere. Even though all coaches should be payed fairly on a scale for their time and effort; I feel that the Karns' coach has a great big heart and wants to bring good things to a school program where she can be of help and not just for $$$$. (obvious based on previous pay level). I support the AD at Karns to see that the pay increases now that the coaching skill has been validated wiith a state appearance. With some talent and good coaching things can happen. The volleyball team at Karns represents a great group of girls who are good kids and have very good grades- this is a reflection of this program. The Karn's coach - Willliams is also the director of the Phoenix Rising Club which is in it's 3rd year and growing. This year the club will be expanding in age group and recruiting more great new coaches to expand this Club. I believe coach William's has a dream to provide solid programs for all kids in volleyball......it's gonna be fun to watch what she does.

 

As for the Farragut Coach Moore- he has devoted much time for many years to volleyball an will continue to contribute to the Farragut softball team. Farragut will always be a strong program with the student body it pulls in the Farragut community. Hiring a powerhouse coach will add to the given draw of talent. Club programs are a direct influence as well for Farragut.

[PHargis]

Orcat,

Your comment is pure speculation for replacements at this time. You are omitting a few options from outside the current 'high school' pool. Also- your comment regarding Karns is premature or late either way is incorrect about students going to Hardin Valley. The largest damage was done last year and this year and the Karns team still went to state. The opening of Hardin Valley Academy created a landslide of students that effected but did not deplete all the Karns' useful talent. Hardin Valley is now over crowded based on preliminary enrollment goals and will not continue to allow out-of-zone students to enroll. No doubt, Hardin Valley will grow and prosper in every area as it becomes more established.

 

Coach Williams has almost all returning players (who went to state) and therefore would be unlikely to want to transfer anywhere. Even though all coaches should be payed fairly on a scale for their time and effort; I feel that the Karns' coach has a great big heart and wants to bring good things to a school program where she can be of help and not just for $$$$. (obvious based on previous pay level). I support the AD at Karns to see that the pay increases now that the coaching skill has been validated wiith a state appearance. With some talent and good coaching things can happen. The volleyball team at Karns represents a great group of girls who are good kids and have very good grades- this is a reflection of this program. The Karn's coach - Willliams is also the director of the Phoenix Rising Club which is in it's 3rd year and growing. This year the club will be expanding in age group and recruiting more great new coaches to expand this Club. I believe coach William's has a dream to provide solid programs for all kids in volleyball......it's gonna be fun to watch what she does.

 

As for the Farragut Coach Moore- he has devoted much time for many years to volleyball an will continue to contribute to the Farragut softball team. Farragut will always be a strong program with the student body it pulls in the Farragut community. Hiring a powerhouse coach will add to the given draw of talent. Club programs are a direct influence as well for Farragut.

This is a very good post and, according to many reports, reflects Coach Williams. If she or someone will post information on this site on "Volleyball Travel Teams" about her Club and its schedule, it might help a number of people and her club.

[only1coach]

Coach Williams has almost all returning players (who went to state) and therefore would be unlikely to want to transfer anywhere. Even though all coaches should be payed fairly on a scale for their time and effort; I feel that the Karns' coach has a great big heart and wants to bring good things to a school program where she can be of help and not just for $$$$. (obvious based on previous pay level). I support the AD at Karns to see that the pay increases now that the coaching skill has been validated wiith a state appearance. With some talent and good coaching things can happen.

 

I know many great coaches that will never make it to state but there coaching skills are the same or better than some coaches that make it to state. Pay should be a straight across the board, not for going to state but for giving your time and effort to the team. Remember you can't carve rotten wood! If all the schools had equal talent then i could see pay on how far the team gets but no in knox county, you have to teach/coach with the kids they get, and some coaches don't have club to fall back on and do a great job. If you have good talent it can make a coach look better than they are and if you have not so talent, it make a good coach look like a bad coach.

This is about the kids!

I really feel there a some great coaches in knoxville area that would love to win like Farragut/Oak Ridge but they love there current school and team more than winning.

[orcat]

I believe a great coach can take any talent and win most years. Just look at the teams that Brentwood, Father Ryan and Anderson County have every season. This year was a hard year, but both programs played multiple freshman and sophs and were only a game out.

 

Your club argument doesn't work because no player from AC ever plays club.

 

What usually happens is when a tean like Greenbrier gets a special player like the Arnold girl; or Lipscomb had Dorris or Page had Perilli and now Smith, and they put an average team on their back and bring hone the bacon. When they graduate the team goes back down to average.

 

The whole point of this post was to give info about 2 of Knoxville's top program having coaching opening. These are also great places to teach, and pay higher than most of our schools. Coach Jones at Catholic; Coach Cantrell and Coach Wade at AC and Coach Williams at Karns would be there dream choices. Oak Ridge is only 15 minutes from AC and I thin the AD would let Coach Cantrell and Coach Wade cone as a package. Farragut and Karns are 5 minutes away from each other and Catholic is closer.

 

This is how these coaches get paid. A 25% raise and a better job is the coaches dream. Also, it is selfish to play the loyalty card. Had either of these teams had a losing season the school doen;t hesitate to pull the plug,

 

I think Coach Jones will take the Farragut job, but I think coach Williams is a much better coach. The unknown is wheter the 2 middles would go with her, One of them came from Farragut, and might want to stay with her coach, That would make Farragut the hands down favorite to win the district. The only knock against Coach Jones is that he had to forfeit akk of his games kast year because of TSSAA rule violations for recruiting.

 

Expect an announcement soon. The job is about to be posted.

[VolleysoccerDad]

ORCAT, I've read a few of your posts and much of what you saw is factually wrong. "No player from AC ever plays club"? If you check the SMJVC website, there are at least two "club" alumni listed from AC in the last two years and they only list the players receiving scholarships.

 

I've also read you state that no player from OR plays club. Not only have they had several players play for SMJVC (in fact, an OR mom has been on the board) but they run their own "captive" club. (TVJVC)

 

I've observed other factually incorrect statements as well, so I don't put much credence in your statements.

 

Your entitled to your opinion, but if you want to engage in pure speculation, I wish you'd leave kids out of it.

[Volley2]

ORCAT

 

How could Coach Williams junior middles follow her anywhere? Aren't there TSSAA rules about transfers???

Wouldn't they have to sit out a year since they have "an athletic history" at Karns.

 

Why would they want to? There is a core group of 5 juniors that have been playing together for quite some time. These hitters have to have passers and a setter to help them get the balls.

 

Strange post!!!

[orcat]

Players transfer all of the time. The better of the 2 middles came from Farragut.

 

I think the criticism is strange. The job is now officially posted, and will be filled before the first of the year. I don't know about Farragut.

 

I agree that Karns has 5 good players coming back next year, but after that the pool will be empty. With the redistricting and the putting of Harding Valley next door, Karns is having its moment in the sun.

 

The OR job and the Farragut jobs are better jobs than Karns. This is not a slam, just an observation. The Women's Basketball postion at the Univ of Tenn is a better job than the position at Tenn Tech. Not slamming Tech, but you look at pay; success year in year out; the facility etc.

 

Karns is like Greenbrier, they had a great group of players come through, but year in year out they won't be in the mix.

 

People on this board don't have a clue as to how strong east TN volleyball is, as evidenced by this years tournament. Oak Ridge is a sleeping giant in vollyball. With the success of women's athletics the right coach can build on Coach Smith's success and win a state championship in 3 or 4 year, and sustain the program for decades.

[doxie]

The Knoxville area is indeed fortunate to have many fine volleyball coaches in the area. It will be interesting to see who fills both the Farragut and Oak Ridge positions. In the case of both schools, the new coaches will have big shoes to fill.

 

A few thoughts about some of ORCat's observations. I know that Karns and Knoxville Catholic did not meet head to head this year, but I wonder what is Coach Williams' record against Coach Jones at Catholic? Also, did Karns have to vacate any wins from the 2008 season due to playing an ineligible player? Just some random thoughts..........

[orcat]

I don't know if Catholic played Karns this year. My suspicion is that Jones has a better record against Williams in that Karns is not traditionally strong, and Catholic has had a good run for the last 5 or 6 years.