Williams Announced As New Cleveland Girls Hoop Coach

Departs East Hamilton After One Successful Season

  • Friday, April 8, 2016
  • Larry Fleming

As expected, Tony Williams has left East Hamilton to become the news girls’ basketball coach at Cleveland High School.

 "I just signed the contract," Williams said by phone Friday afternoon.

This writer posted several tweets Thursday afternoon saying there were strong indicators that Williams, whose 2015-16 team tied a school record for most wins (24) in a single season, would be the Lady Blue Raiders' next coach.

Williams succeeds Mindy Kiser at Cleveland. Kiser stepped down from the position shortly after the past season when the Lady Blue Raiders went 2-23 overall and 0-12 in District 5-3A. 

East Hamilton finished 24-9 and was the No. 2 seed for the district tournament. The Lady Hurricanes lost in the district semifinals, but won third place and took a season-ending loss to Cookeville in the Region 3-3A tourney.

East Hamilton also won 24 games in a season in 2012-13 and 2010-2011, both times while competing in District 6-2A under coach Derek Morris. 

In three seasons leading up to East Hamilton’s leap into District 5-3A, Morris went 71-32. The Lady Hurricanes were 12-46 overall and 3-20 in the district in two Class 3A seasons that resulted in Morris being forced out in late March 2015.

Williams was hired at East Hamilton less than a month later.

On Thursday, Williams would only confirm that he had interviewed for the job and was waiting a decision by Cleveland High officials.

However, a source in Cleveland said Williams already had the job and had talked to one of his top East Hamilton players – eighth-grader Madison Hayes – about possibly going with him.

Williams denied that.

"I don't operate like that," he said. 

Williams also denied that his relationship with East Hamilton principal Gail Chuy had become rocky.

"Gail and I have a great relationship, Williams said. “I’ve worked with nine or 10 principals and I would rank her number one. I’ve never worked with a better one.”

Hints were clearly there Thursday when Williams asked and answered the obvious question of why he would leave East Hamilton for Cleveland when the two programs were headed in opposite directions.

"East Hamilton has one of the best programs in Hamilton County," he said, "but it's Cleveland, a storied program with a little more tradition. Who is to say the down cycle at Cleveland will last any longer?"

Williams also said the interview with Cleveland officials "had gone well." He prayed about making the switch before being interviewed and that one of the strongest factors in taking the job was logistics for his family, which still resides in Dayton. 

"I've calculated that it would cut my drive time by about 25 minutes," Williams said. "My wife (Traci) works at Tennessee Wesleyan College in Athens – she is vice president in charge of institutional research and effectiveness – and we have two girls, sixth- and eighth-graders – playing basketball. It's going to make things a lot easier on her if she wants to watch them play if we’re working out of Cleveland.

"Whatever happens is supposed to happen."

Before coming to East Hamilton, Williams coached three years at Rhea County Middle School and his last team there went 27-2. 

"What has happened in the past will drive where we would like to go in the future," Williams said.  "Having known and coached against Jason McCowan, Cleveland's boys' coach, and Amy McGowan, girls coach at Cleveland Middle School, should make for a smooth transition into the program.  I look forward to working with both of these coaches.”    

Williams played high school ball at Lenoir City and later at Roane County Community College and later at Tennessee Wesleyan. Williams helped TWC to a NAIA national tournament appearance as a senior.

His first head coaching job was at Newbern Junior High in Dyer County where he was an assistant for boys’ and girls’ teams. While there the boys’ team made state tournament appearances in 2000 and 2001.

Williams became the Lenoir City boys in 2004-05 and went to Rhea County where he coached the boys’ team from 2007-12.

Cleveland athletic director Eric Phillips said, "I am extremely excited about this hire. Tony brings a wealth of skills that will help our girls’ basketball program and community. His energy is exceptional and his passion for the game will help our athletes to become the best that they can, on and off the court. I am certain that he will help our very proud basketball program to become even better.” 

Principal Autumn O'Bryan welcomed Williams to the Cleveland family.

"We are excited for coach Williams to join our staff. He is a committed and energetic coach who will bring a passion for basketball and for Cleveland High School. We look forward to the future of Lady Raider basketball.”

It’s obvious Williams doesn’t shy away from coaching challenges since he took over at East Hamilton with the team coming off an eight-win season and Cleveland won just two games this season.

“I coach basketball for different reasons than some coaches,” said Williams, 41. “I like winning, but winning is like a cherry on top of the cake. It looks good, but not many people eat it. The light bulb moment that happens for kids, when basketball comes to life for them, that’s my joy and passion as a coach.

“When I looked at East Hamilton, first it was a great school for my kids and a chance to go in there and do something with some pretty talented kids. Traditionally, Cleveland has been a great job. It’s in a well-paying system and that’s good for my family. They have two assistant coaching supplements instead of one in Hamilton County. There positives at Cleveland and positives at East Hamilton.”

Williams’ daughters have played against a lot of the Cleveland Middle girls for three years and the coach knows a lot of them by name.

“I know the future is bright,” he said.

Another factor for any coaching interested in the Cleveland High coaching vacancy is the new gym which will be in use for the 2016-17 season.

“Words cannot express how magnificent the new gym is,” Williams said. “It’s state of the art all around and like no other gym I’ve ever been in. It’s like no other gym I’ve been in. The only gyms that come close are at Oak Ridge and Viking Hall where Tennessee High plays. That one is like a community civic center up there (Bristol). I would take the Cleveland gym over both of them.”

Apparently, Williams wants to hang around Cleveland a long time.

“I plan on this being my last move,” he said. “I have daughters that will not want to move again.”

(Contact Larry Fleming at larryfleming44@gmail.com and on Twitter @larryfleming44)

 

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