Austin-East Coaching vacancy

[SouthKnoxPrince]

Do any of the AE supporters think the AE community would support a white coach? I am not trying to start a racially charged thread, but it is a question that I think needs to be addressed during this process. Truthfully, I don't think Farragut or Bearden or Hardin Valley would hire a black coach at this time. That is just my opinion.

[boorelly]

I don't know who your son was but sound like he spent a lot of time with Bragg. I just learned Bragg class was for students who needed to recover a class because they flunked. I really didn't get a chance to know Bragg. Met him at a combine. He seems to be a good dude. Graham thinks highly of him. Graham did not leave for money. He had a time frame to move on. He told his coaches that this upcoming year would be his last year at Austin East but this this opportunity came up. I know he wanted Gillard there to takeover for him after he left. He felt like Gillard's experience with the environment would make him a perfect fit. Gillard was head coach at Sheffield in Memphis. He coached at several colleges and was D coordinator at Memphis Ridgeway in 2002 when they won the state. He was offered the JCM job in 2008 but too much mess in Jackson so he resigned the position and coached in Mississippi. Graham commented on Gillard knowing a lot of college coaches and the ability to get kids at the next level. Graham felt Tillman is ready to be a head coach also. He had been there with Stevens and Graham the whole time. He also said Bragg would be a good candidate. I told him about what I heard about Bragg being hot headed and Graham laughed and said, with that freshmen team they can make a lot of people hot headed. Graham doesn't think Bragg would leave the opportunity hehas to come to AE. He said Bragg can continue to improve his craft without the pressure to win now. It is better when the pressure to win is from yourself because you don't have a short timetable. AE can burn out a young coach if he lets it.

[boorelly]

I don't know if AE community would want a white coach or not. But AE, Brainerd, and Howard are the only opportunities for a minority coach to get a job in East Tennessee. Not saying that it is fair or right but until the hiring pot has more variety I doubt the powers that be would not let that happen without seriously looking at a minority first. AE has had white coaches, but are those coaches willing to live in the neighborhood with their players, attend their churches and community functions, be able to deal with the social cues in that environment. Like I said AE football is bigger than just on the field. That what i have to give Graham credit for. He made it bigger than the field.

[Turtle]

AE has had white coaches, but are those coaches willing to live in the neighborhood with their players, attend their churches and community functions, be able to deal with the social cues in that environment. Like I said AE football is bigger than just on the field. That what i have to give Graham credit for. He made it bigger than the field.

 

 

 

Just hold up one minute here.. I think AE would accept a white coach in a heart beat. I was just talking to someone yesterday about Carl Torbush he's white and a good coach. If he would apply for the job, I know he would get the job. He's an Alumni.

[SouthKnoxPrince]

Turtle,

 

You cannot be serious. Do you honestly think Carl Torbush would apply for the AE job. I know you guys are proud of your Roadrunners, but do you really think a division I defensive coordinator making over $500,000 would come and coach in Knox Co. for under a $100,000. COME ON MAN!! Let's talk apples to apples. Would AE support a white coach that will actually aplly for the job!! For example, someone like Scott Cummings fom West or Taylor from Bearden? (not implying they are interested)

[BoardHater71]

Marcus Bragg would be a great hire for AE. He is exactly what AE is looking for IMHO. A young, energetic African-American coach in his 20's who preaches discipline first to his players.

 

This past year at Montgomery Central he went 2-8. With that having been said though the Indians were also very competitive in the games that they lost to Cheatham County, East Hickman, Creek Wood, Stewart County, & Waverly Central. With a few breaks the Indians could have very easily been a 6-4 football team.

 

That is AMAZING considering that heading into the 2009 season the Montgomery Central Indians were a team that had lost 29 consecutive football games and 37 of their previous 38 overall (dating all the way back to Week 2 of the 2005 season).

 

His hire would give AE the kind of discipline needed to become a state title contender

[Turtle]

Turtle,

 

You cannot be serious. Do you honestly think Carl Torbush would apply for the AE job. I know you guys are proud of your Roadrunners, but do you really think a division I defensive coordinator making over $500,000 would come and coach in Knox Co. for under a $100,000. COME ON MAN!! Let's talk apples to apples. Would AE support a white coach that will actually aplly for the job!! For example, someone like Scott Cummings fom West or Taylor from Bearden? (not implying they are interested)

 

 

Can you not read or something? I think you need to stay in South Knoxville... I said if Coach Torbush would've applied... No I don't think he would leave a D1 job just to come to a lanky Knox County but let's be real, if he was out of a job right now and still in the Knoxville area, don't you think he would apply?

 

Another thing, why didn't you mention Clark Duncan in your list of coaches you named?

 

I think the AE community would accept Coach Taylor but Cummings on the other hand, my question is what have you done for West lately? I don't think they'll accept him. Just my opinion....

[SouthKnoxPrince]

Turtle,

With AE's test scores, do you really want to start throwing stones about someone's reading ability? As I said in my post, do you think he would apply? The answer is no. That was my point. A coach of his caliber would probably not apply for a high school job, much less a Knox Co. job.

 

As for Cummings, I think he was dealt a raw deal with the new classification system. He has won when he had equal talent. As for not mentioning Duncan, coming off an 0-10 at SD, I do not think he is on top of many AD's list right now (except the AD at SD of course ).

 

I agree with another post on here about how few "real" head coaching opportunities there are here in East TN for minority coaches. In Knox Co., I think AE and maybe Fulton, Central, or West at most. I do not see Knox Co. taking away the one sure minority football job, unless a coach of Quarles or Rankin's caliber were to apply.

[BoardHater71]

Hey LetsGetIt.....

 

All of those things you said about Marcus Bragg are things that I would believe. He set up a football website at Montgmery Central as soon as he arrived there. He preached character above all else. I know of a case that involved several Indians players last summer getting into some trouble for under-age drinking. A few of these kids were what an outsider, such as myself, would call "the team's better players". Bragg gave them an opportunity for redemption right away. They were either given a chance to:

 

a.) turn in their belongings and quit

 

b.) roll on their sides for a set amount of distance (which by the way from personal experience is something I can tell you is the worst form of punishment ever)

 

 

Bragg cares about winning there is no question about it. Above all else though he cares about the kids. Montgomery Central got off to a great start last season with wins over Clarksville Academy & Houston County. Following those wins they fell on some hard times. They lost tight battles against Cheatham County & East Hickman in games that they could have easily won. In the Camden game they were shocking everyone for a while and actually leading the game in the 3rd quarter. Then the worst thing happened to them. Their quarterback got hurt and things started to unravel. The final score was very lopsided and did not show how well they played for much of the night. Fearing that the kids were "losing hope" and starting to feel like they were "failures" Bragg didn't jump on them. He didn't kick them while they were down in the dumps. Instead he loaded up the buses (AFTER A HOME GAME) and took his players out to dinner. Why????? He cares about them!

 

The very next week, minus their starting quarterback, Montgomery Central took Stewart County (a 6 win playoff team) to the wire. The game went to overtime where Stewart came out on top 19-13. Following that they played eventual district champs Creek Wood to the wire in a game that was 21-14 late before the Red Hawks finally came out on top 28-14. In the season finale they lost at Waverly 12-6 in a driving rainstorm.

 

He cares about his players so therefore his players always play hard for him. Isn't that what makes a successful coach? If the kids go to battle for you week in and week out and continue to fight then that truly is the mark of a successful coaching job.

 

 

 

 

That is what Austin East needs. They need a coach who cares about the kids first, not winning. If those kids have a guy leading them who they know cares as much about them as human beings as he does about winning on Friday nights then they will continue to fight and go to battle for that guy week in and week out.

[Turtle]

 

 

That is what Austin East needs. They need a coach who cares about the kids first, not winning. If those kids have a guy leading them who they know cares as much about them as human beings as he does about winning on Friday nights then they will continue to fight and go to battle for that guy week in and week out.

 

I really don't think Bragg would leave after one year at the school he's at now.

[BoardHater71]

He would if:

 

a.) his ultimate goal is to wind up back in east-TN which is where he is from (Morristown East graduate)

 

b.) he wants an opportunity to coach at a school with a proven winning background and see if he is capable of maintaining a high level of success instead of trying to build a successful program from the ground up

 

c.) he wants an opportunity to compete for a state title, which is something that is much closer for AE than MC at this present moment in time

[Turtle]

Well we will see.. I'm pretty sure, AE is close to naming its new leader.