Former Haywood basketball star Jarvis Varnado coaches alma mater at TSSAA state tournament

MURFREESBORO — Family ties run deep in Haywood County, population 17,864. It's one of those places where everybody knows everybody.

Haywood boys basketball coach Rodney Chatman was a senior on the team when the Tomcats reached the TSSAA state tournament in 2004. His cousin, Jarvis Varnado, was a shot-blocking sophomore who would lead Haywood on two more trips to Murfreesboro before embarking on a decorated college and professional career.

Last summer, Chatman had a vacancy on his staff. Varnado was his first call.

In Varnado's first season as an assistant as his alma mater, he's already done something he was never able to accomplish as a player. The Tomcats defeated Unicoi County, 63-43, in Tuesday's Class 3A state quarterfinal, giving Varnado his first win with Haywood at the Murphy Center.

"It's a dream come true," Varnado said. "Coming back and trying to help these boys get to the next level and trying to bring home a gold ball as well."

After graduating from Haywood in 2006, Varnado played four seasons at Mississippi State, where he was named SEC Defensive Player of the Year three times and first-team All-SEC twice. He left Starkville as the NCAA's all-time leader in blocks with 564, a record he still holds.

Drafted 41st overall by the Miami Heat in 2010, Varnado played 37 NBA games from 2012 to 2014, but mostly played in the G-League and internationally. After retiring last year, he decided to give coaching a try.

At this stage of his coaching career, Varnado is trying to figure out how much he likes it. So far, he's enjoyed helping the next generation and loves being back in the close-knit community of his youth. Chatman said Varnado's pro background has been an essential ingredient in the Tomcats' success this season: they're 29-5 and ranked No. 1 in Class 3A.

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"It's just taking what I was told (as a player) and applying it to the boys," Varnado said of his coaching style. "That's pretty much it."

In the meantime, Varnado has a score to settle. His 0-3 record as a player at state contrasts with that of his brother Jordon, who won tournament MVP in 2015 while leading Haywood to its lone state championship.

Varnado is two wins away from settling that score. The Tomcats will face Ridgeway (18-12) Thursday at 6 p.m. in the semifinals.

"Me and my little brother, we have a little feud going on back and forth," Jarvis said. "He's the first one to win state, so he holds that over me. But it would be so sweet if we could win another."

Jacob Shames can be reached by email at jshames@gannett.com and on Twitter @Jacob_Shames.