New Powell baseball coach wants things in best shape — on and off the field

It’s an ambiguous concept that is difficult to quantify. But when Josh Warner sees toughness in the Powell High School baseball program, he’ll know it. 

The 39-year-old Warner, who will soon embark on his first season as the Panthers’ head coach, is challenged with delivering an encore.

Powell was impressive during last year’s 26-7 season that included an undefeated run through the district. Beyond the obvious short-term measurements of wins and losses, Warner is charged with establishing a foundation of toughness that will generate success.

“We want tough kids,” Warner said. “Kids have changed, that’s the truth. Every school has challenges, even Powell.

“I try to get the kids out of their comfort zone; out of their element. I want to make practices and (weight lifting sessions) tougher on them than the games. But, you also have to maintain a good relationship with them.”

Always a coach   

Warner grew up in Kingsport and cut his baseball teeth at Dobyns-Bennett High School. The pitcher got an opportunity at East Tennessee State University and made the most of it.

He learned the game and got a degree in education.

“I always wanted to be a coach,” Warner said.

He wanted to coach so badly that he went back to his high school alma mater and coached for free for three years. That was followed by five years as a paid assistant, and finally his first opportunity to lead a program at Jefferson County High School.

“I was fortunate to have been given a lot of responsibilities as an assistant, which prepared me for the transition to head coach,” Warner said.

Warner’s first team at Jefferson County went 33-5, losing to Farragut in the sub-state. That was followed by 31-9, losing to Bearden in the tournament.

Three years at Jefferson County led to a year at Gatlinburg-Pittman and four in Easley, S.C. He came back to the area as an assistant at Pigeon Forge for a year before coming to Powell at the start of the school year.

All the while, Warner kept his finger on the pulse of the area talent by coaching the Knoxville Stars travel team every summer since 2012.

Green thumb   

Besides his expertise on the field and his ability to form relationships, Warner has a green thumb when it comes to turning a struggling field pristine.

“We want to have first-class facilities for our kids,” he said. “That takes work. A lot of work. If you’re not working on it an hour or an hour and a half every day, you’re going to get behind.”

Danny T. Maples Field is his baby. He spends his fourth hour prep period for his high school phys ed classes working on the manicure. He mows. He cut a wide swath of turf more than 10 feet from the fence all the way around the field and filled it in with crushed gravel.

“That’s always been a passion of mine,” Warner said. “There’s no secret. It just takes irrigation, chemicals and a ton of work.”

Warner, though, will be holding his breath. Just a few weeks ago, he saw what can happen to Beaver Creek – immediately beyond the left field fence – when the spring rains come. Most of the field spent a few days underwater recently. Last year, the Panthers were homeless for several weeks early in the season.

It appeared that the field would be able to be saved without a massive makeover. The team had come up with some fundraising ideas to raise money to get it in shape.

“A few weeks ago (before the most recent flooding), when it was raining a lot here, I was playing golf in Las Vegas,” Warner said. “I kept getting pictures from people showing how high Beaver Creek was getting. I was so worried, I couldn’t concentrate. It was the worst round I’ve played.”