C.J. Scott named new Glencliff football coach

C.J. Scott once helped Glencliff football nearly win a state championship.

Watching the program fall into disrepair wasn't easy. But Scott's hoping to change that after being announced as the Colts new football coach Thursday.

"It was so difficult for me. As an alum, I never wanted to see our program this way," Scott said. "We have a history of good athletes and coaches. I just want to bring some of that back."

As a player, Scott helped lead Glencliff to a Class 5A state runner-up finish in 1999, the school’s deepest postseason football run. He also won the Class 5A Mr. Football award that year. He recorded seven interceptions and caused eight fumbles on defense, while rushing for 1,353 yards on 182 carries and scoring 16 TDs on offense.

Since then, the Colts have reached the TSSAA football playoffs just twice and fallen on hard times. Previous coach Phillip Stevenson helped Glencliff break a 37-game losing streak this past season, but he resigned on Nov. 10. Glencliff finished 2-8. 

More:How Glencliff football went from shutting down - for a day - to first win in five years

C.J. Johnson, a star teammate of Scott's on Glencliff's '99 team and Tennessee State's all-time leading receiver, will be the Colts new offensive coordinator. Some other assistants will have Glencliff ties as well.

"It's kind of like bringing the history back," Scott said.

Scott played college football at Tulsa and spent some time in the Arena Football League. He has been an assistant at Glencliff and Donelson Christian Academy before. His most recent game coaching was in DCA's loss to Friendship Christian in the 2017 Division II-A state championship game.

Scott will transition to being a coach and teacher after coordinating Glencliff’s STARS student-assistance program. 

"Me being in the school already, some of the students know me and respect me," Scott said. "It’ll be about continuing to build that relationship with the kids and getting them to trust me." 

Building healthy roster numbers will be one of Scott's goals.

In 2019, Glencliff’s program shut down for one day due to lack of numbers after players left. However, the team was revived after several players who left opted to come back to finish the season. The roster size had gotten down to 17 players for a program competing in Class 5A.

Scott played for late Glencliff coaching legend Jim Wilson, who helped engineer the 1999 run to the state championship game. The Colts lost 31-27 to Sevier County. 

Wilson’s son, Clint, is now Glencliff’s principal. Clint Wilson called Scott "the embodiment" of his Glencliff roots.

"Me coming back home and being able to coach, a guy who was under Jim Wilson, I think it brings some of the Colt pride home," Scott said.

Reach sports writer Tyler Palmateer at tpalmateer@tennessean.com and on the X platform, formerly Twitter, @tpalmateer83.