Thomas Stanley returns to Clarksville to coach Northwest boys basketball

A familiar face has returned to Clarksville as Thomas Stanley was hired by Northwest to become the boys basketball coach.

Stanley served as Northeast's interim coach for the 2014-15 season after the resignation of Al Cooper. He takes over at Northwest after the departure of Aaron Wallus, who resigned in March to join the Fellowship of Christian Athletes organization.

The Vikings were 4-20 this past season.

"To say that I am excited is an understatement and I am thrilled to have the opportunity to support these young men as they pursue excellence in the classroom, on the basketball court, and in their future endeavors," Stanley said Thursday. "I'm ready to begin developing our student athletes into strong young men on the court and in the community as we represent."

Stanley has 13 years of experience and was a coaching fixture in Clarksville. He was an assistant at Northeast, under Cooper, for five years and helped the Eagles win two district championships, a region title, and a Class 3A state semifinal appearance. 

Now he joins a program that has struggled. The Vikings were 27-67 in four seasons under Wallus. The Vikings have not had a winning season since 2016-17 when they finished 20-7.

"I am humbled and honored to accept the coaching position at Northwest," Stanley said. "I want to thank (Northwest principal) Mrs. (Jessica) Peppard and the administration for entrusting me with the future of Viking basketball."

After his one season as interim coach at Northeast, Stanley took over as the girls coach at Hickman County for seven seasons. During his time in Centerville, Stanley led the Lady Bulldogs to a 66-127 record. Hickman County was 16-13 this past season.

"We had a wide variety of interest in this position," Northwest athletics director Jason Greene said. "We narrowed the large pool of resumes we received and interviewed the individuals we felt were the top candidates. Ultimately, the administrative team felt that coah Stanley was the best fit for the position based on his experience, enthusiasm, and vision for the program."

Stanley enters a new configuration of district teams from the one he grew accustomed to at Northeast although he's familiar with all three district opponents. The Vikings play in District 14-4A with Kenwood, Henry and Dickson counties.

"(Stanley) has a strong plan for the future, and we believe he will continue to grow our athletes and push them to achieve excellence," Greene said.

Rae Howard takes over volleyball

Northwest also filled its volleyball opening, naming Rae Howard. Howard takes over after Amy Padgett resigned at the end of the 2021 season.

A Clarksville native, Howard played four years at Northeast where she started from 2006-09. Her coaching career began in 2015. She coached at the club level in Nashville and coached high school teams in Virginia.

She returned to Clarksville in 2019 and was an assistant at Clarksville Academy in 2021  and is also a club coach with the Clarksville Volleyball Club.

Reach sports writer George Robinson at grobinson@gannett.com or (931) 245-0747 and on Twitter @Cville_Sports.