Jensen Morgan never had a timetable for becoming a head coach, but there’s little doubt that getting his first big break at age 25 is a bit stunning.
Yet, Morgan believes he's fully capable of handling the job of rejuvenating the Ooltewah High School girls basketball program.
“I do think I’m ready to be a head coach,” Morgan said Monday after athletic director Jesse Nayadley's announced he was turning the job over to the Chattanooga native.
“This is going to be a fresh start for everybody and they needed a change. I believe I can give them team that change. I’ve got a good staff and they will help me a lot.”
Morgan, who played basketball and football and graduated from Ooltewah High School in 2007, replaces Donnie Mullins.
Mullins decided to step down from the girls’ basketball job, but remains at the school and will coach the boys and girls golf and track teams.
Mullins’ Lady Owls went 10-34 in his last two seasons, but earned District 5-AAA Coach of the Year honors three years ago.
“I just think Donnie was ready for something different,” said Morgan, who has been an assistant with the boys and girls basketball team the past two seasons.
Morgan has also been kept busy at Hunter Middle School where he’s been assisting with the basketball, football, baseball and track programs.
“Having gotten to know Jensen the last couple of years, the amazing thing is his maturity,” Nayadley said. “He’s 25, but at 23 and 24 his maturity was just unbelievable. With him being around the two programs you could tell he’s going to be a good head coach. He’s ready for it.”
Morgan already has his staff lined up: Chris Brown, who played football and Vanderbilt, and Courtney McDuffie, who attended Notre Dame and Brainerd high schools and played semi-pro basketball for the South Carolina Storm earlier this year.
Morgan has been handling the Lady Owls’ conditioning work and is eager to get started on preparation for his first season leading the program.
“The girls have handled the change pretty well,” Morgan said. “When I told them I would be the new coach they seemed pretty excited.
“I’m very excited. This means a lot. I’ve volunteered at several different schools. When I graduated (from Tennessee-Chattanooga) I knew I wanted to be a coach. I figured I would be at (Hunter) a little longer. Jesse helped me a lot while I was with the high school teams.”
Morgan has a clear idea of how he wants the Lady Owls to play this coming season.
“With the girls we have now I think we’ll slow it down on offense,” he said. “We won’t be able to run-and-gun when we have the basketball. We’ll probably play a lot of zone and pack it in on defense.”
Brown played basketball and football at Unicoi High School from 1999-03. He played football at Vanderbilt from 2003-05 and received his teaching license from East Tennessee State University.
Brown began his coaching career at his alma mater and came to Ooltewah High in 2014. He is currently an assistant coach on football coach Mac Bryan’s staff.
McDuffie played varsity basketball at Notre Dame from 2003-05 and then finished at Brainerd in 2006. She attended Chattanooga State and played for Jay Price before transferring and playing at Voorhees College in South Carolina.
(E-mail Larry Fleming at larryfleming44@gmail.com or follow him on Twitter @larryfleming44)