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Goodpasture promotes Greg Cotten to head football coach





Goodpasture offensive line coach Greg Cotten leads a pregame huddle in 2020. Cotten has been promoted to head coach.Casey Gower/Main Street Media

Goodpasture offensive line coach Greg Cotten leads a pregame huddle in 2020. Cotten has been promoted to head coach.Casey Gower/Main Street Media

Goodpasture stayed in-house to find its next football coach.

The school promoted offensive line coach Greg Cotten to head coach on Tuesday, Goodpasture president Ricky Perry told Main Street Preps.

Cotten, who also coaches the Goodpasture wrestling team, has served as the interim football coach since Tyler Turner resigned on March 22 to take the same job at Jackson Prep in Mississippi.

‘’This is something I’ve been pursuing for the better part of the last decade,” said Cotten, who was an assistant at Warren County and White County before moving to Nashville in 2016.

“This is a dream job for me, being at Goodpasture.”

Goodpasture was looking for continuity following a 9-3 finish and a state semifinal appearance in 2020. That was Turner’s lone season at the helm after he replaced Jerry Joslin following the 2019 season.

“I think Coach Turner really ignited some enthusiasm that has caught on with our coaching staff,” Perry said. “We got a little taste of it last year, so we’re going to build on that.”

Goodpasture's Greg Cotten greets Tanner Lane (8) on the sideline during a playoff game at CPA last season.Casey Gower/Main Street Media

Goodpasture’s Greg Cotten greets Tanner Lane (8) on the sideline during a playoff game at CPA last season.Casey Gower/Main Street Media

Along with Cotten, Perry said the entire Goodpasture coaching staff has been invited back for the 2021 season. Turner left glowing reviews for that group on his way out the door last month.

Former defensive coordinator Ed Sanders recently left to take the same job at FRA, making him the only assistant who will not return next season.

“Coach Turner’s comment to me was, ‘You’ve got the strongest staff that I’ve ever had a chance to be a part of,’” Perry said. “That said a lot. Some of those guys have been at Goodpasture for a long time.”

Like Turner, Cotten’s expertise is on the offensive side of the ball. He has spent his five seasons at Goodpasture working with the offensive line and has also been involved with game planning the past two seasons. The Cougars averaged nearly 32 points per contest with their spread offense in 2020.

‘’We’re going to focus on keeping the same verbiage and play schemes because that’s what is going to (most) benefit our team and our players,” Cotten said. “The offense is going to look very similar to what it’s been the last two years.”

Goodpasture offensive line coach Greg Cotten chats with Tyler Turner in the locker room before a game in 2020.Casey Gower/Main Street Media

Goodpasture offensive line coach Greg Cotten chats with Tyler Turner in the locker room before a game in 2020.Casey Gower/Main Street Media

Cotten is known for bringing energy to the sidelines with passionate pregame speeches. He said that won’t change, even if must dial back the emotion a bit in his new role.

“I understand that as a head coach, it will be expected of me to be a little more even-keel, but I’m still going to be me,” Cotten said. “I’m still going to love this game and the process and everything that goes into it.”

Cotten and his assistants will try to keep winning in the competitive Division II-AA Middle Region, an all-Nashville area league that also includes BGA, CPA, Davidson Academy, FRA and Lipscomb Academy.

Goodpasture’s three losses last season were to CPA (twice) and Lipscomb Academy, which both advanced to the DII-AA state championship game. The Lions edged the Mustangs 35-28 for the fifth title in program history.

Goodpasture coach Greg Cotten watches film with offensive linemen during a game last season.Casey Gower/Main Street Media

Goodpasture coach Greg Cotten watches film with offensive linemen during a game last season.Casey Gower/Main Street Media

“We think Coach Cotten and the other staff members have raised the bar,” Perry said. “They see the level of commitment and drive and enthusiasm it’s going to take to get to the state championship, and I think this entire staff can get us to where we want to be.”

Keeping up with Middle Tennessee’s elite DII-AA programs will require roster depth. Cotten said Goodpasture has hovered around 40 players in recent years, but the excitement around the program has inspired more underclassmen to join the team this offseason.

“They’re already signed up, lifting weights with us and getting into drills,” Cotten said. “Our numbers are rising. We want to continue the momentum we had this last season and bolster our roster.”

Goodpasture coach Greg Cotten talks to Tanner Lane (8) during a game.Casey Gower/Main Street Media

Goodpasture coach Greg Cotten talks to Tanner Lane (8) during a game.Casey Gower/Main Street Media

Greg Cotten celebrates with senior lineman Adam Crider (53) during a game last season.Casey Gower/Main Street Media

Greg Cotten celebrates with senior lineman Adam Crider (53) during a game last season.Casey Gower/Main Street Media

Greg Cotten looks on during a Goodpasture game last season.Casey Gower/Main Street Media

Greg Cotten looks on during a Goodpasture game last season.Casey Gower/Main Street Media

Greg Cotten celebrates with senior Adam Crider (53) during a game in 2020.Casey Gower/Main Street Media

Greg Cotten celebrates with senior Adam Crider (53) during a game in 2020.Casey Gower/Main Street Media

 

 

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