Rockvale names Bill Hockenberry interim girls basketball coach

Bill Hockenberry grew up around high school girls basketball.

He will take that experience to his next venture as the interim girls basketball coach at Rockvale for the 2020-21 season.

"I'm excited about it. ... It's a great opportunity," said Hockenberry, who was an assistant coach on the Rockets' inaugural boys program last season. "The Rockvale community has been great since the school opened."

Hockenberry, 36, replaces Lindy King, who guided Rockvale to 11 wins in its inaugural season before moving on to Riverdale as an assistant principal.

The timing of King's departure in mid-July, coupled with the COVID-19 pandemic, made it tough for Rockvale principal Steve Luker to find King's replacement in the short window of time.

"It was a difficult time to be looking for a head coach," Luker said. "We searched and searched. Bill is going to get us through (this season), and then we'll take it from there."

Hockenberry grew up around the Oakland girls program that was coached by his father, George, in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

He was a boys assistant coach at Siegel and La Vergne before taking the head coaching position at Smyrna Middle for nine seasons, including a trip to the TMSAA state tournament quarterfinals. He joined the Rockvale staff last season as a boys assistant.

"It's not going to be that big of a difference for me," Hockenberry said of coaching girls. "I haven't been a head coach on the girls side, but I have been around it since I was young. I remember when I was 5, going to (Los Angeles) and seeing (Oakland) play Lisa Leslie's Morningside team."

Hockenberry is also an assistant athletics director at Rockvale.

"He already handles a lot of responsibilities with Rockvale athletics," Luker said. "He's a tireless worker. He's a good school person. He's at every event, and he tackles tough jobs. He's filling a role for us that we needed someone with leadership and loyalty to the school."

King left the program in an upward direction.

"Coach King did an outstanding job laying the foundation," Hockenberry said. "We have every player back, plus some good freshmen."

Reach Cecil Joyce at cjoyce@dnj.com or 615-278-5168 and on Twitter @Cecil_Joyce.