Shawn Middleton steps down as Siegel girls basketball coach

After four seasons at the helm of the Siegel girls basketball program, Shawn Middleton announced his resignation Tuesday.

Middleton, who will remain the girls softball coach and the school's graduation coach, said the workload of juggling all three was the reason for stepping down as girls basketball coach.

"It's a lot running two programs, two sets of parents. ... I'm used to doing those things, but it really weighed me down the last four years," said Middleton, who took over both the basketball and softball programs within a month of each other in 2017. "And, as far as my job as graduation coach, the complexion has changed a lot, with COVID and things that need to be done.

"I was looking at June (basketball) camps and I felt like a lot of my June will be helping these kids graduate. It's not fair to put (the basketball team) behind the 8-ball and not be ready. I know what pays the bills, and that's the school part of it. It was tough to look the kids in the eyes and tell them I made the decision."

The Lady Stars went 3-17 and finished sixth in 7-AAA this season. Over the past four seasons the team was 20-72.

"We appreciate (Middleton) coaching our girls the past four years," Siegel principal Larry Creasy said. "He put his heart and soul into it. I watched over the past four years, and it's tough coaching two major sports and trying to do what he has to do as graduation coach. He spent many many hours here in the middle of the night trying to get through everything that needed to be done. I totally understand."

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Creasy and Middleton have known each other for close to 30 years. Middleton appreciates the confidence Creasy showed in hiring him for the position.

"(Creasy) allowed me to (coach) two sports, something I never thought would happen when I came here," an emotional Middleton said. "For him to give me the opportunity, after what I had been through before, and the honor to coach his daughter (Carrington) ... this (decision) hurts."

Middleton served a one-year suspension given by Rutherford County Schools and was ultimately replaced at Smyrna following the 2014-15 season. In a District 7-AAA Tournament game against Riverdale, both teams attempted to lose to earn a more favorable region seed.

Middleton's softball team is unbeaten and coming off a 2019 Class AAA runner-up before last season was canceled because of COVID-19.

Creasy said the search for a new coach would begin immediately.

"We appreciate (Middleton) and the hard work that he's done," Creasy said. "My daughter loved playing for him. We look forward to going forward with (the basketball search)."

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