James Talley is the new boys' high school basketball head coach at tradition-rich Howard.
Talley, a 2000 Howard graduate, has been a varsity assistant and the school's junior varsity coach the past two seasons. He has been an assistant on the football staff as well.
"I'm really excited," Talley said. "This proves that everything I was taught as a player under (former Howard coaches) Alvin Tarver and Frank Jones about hard work paying off is true."
Talley takes over for Walter McGary, who retired after last season after 15 years with the program.
Talley, 36, played basketball and football for the Hustlin' Tigers and later attended Alabama A&M University. He coached youth-league teams when he returned to Chattanooga, then began coaching at Dalewood Middle School before coming to Howard.
"When I came back, the athletic program was in a down cycle, and being a former Hustlin' Tiger, I knew I couldn't just stand around and watch that," Talley said. "There was no need in complaining about it, so I decided to help out and try to get things turned back around.
"The things I remember most from those coaches I played for was not the X's and O's but the relationships and life lessons you learn through athletics. Those guys were mentors, and they taught me how to be a better student, a better father and a better man, and that's what I want to teach the kids who play here now."
Howard athletic director David Moore said Talley's familiarity with the program and the community made him the clear choice in an impressive list of applicants.
"We just felt like he was the best fit for us," Moore said. "He's been alongside Coach McGary for a while, and the kids already have a relationship with him, so there's a comfort level there. He's been spending time with them and taking the kids to camp and running the program for a while already.
"We also wanted someone we knew would watch over their academics, and we know that Coach Talley will do that, so this was the right choice for the program."
Contact Stephen Hargis at 423-757-6293 or shargis@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @StephenHargis.