Wes Caldwell spent his final day at Ooltewah High School doing what he loves most: celebrating baseball players signing college scholarships and sitting side-by-side with Brian Hitchcox watching young men play the game.
Caldwell, a 23-year coaching veteran and one of the most knowledgeable baseball men in the area, has accepted the head baseball position at Greenback High School after serving as an assistant coach to Hitchcox for the last three seasons.
Under the direction of the two men, the Owls have reached unprecedented heights, including a school-record 29 wins this past season.
On Tuesday night, Caldwell was on hand as the team got together for a final time to celebrate three of this year’s graduating seniors signing scholarships. Pitchers Daniel Willie, Ethan Walls and infielder Sam Zettel recently signed to play for Cleveland State and it was only fitting Caldwell’s last day would be to celebrate the accomplishment.
“Wes played such a big part in not only these three kids but all of the ones who have walked out on the field for us over these last three years,” said Hitchcox. “I can say that because I know what an important role he has played in my life.
“Wes Caldwell is as good a baseball coach as you will come across. I’m excited for him but we are certainly going to miss his presence. I don’t know if Greenback High School fully realizes what a great coach they’ve gotten, but I do. Wes has had several opportunities to take over programs the last few years, but turned them down because of his love for the Ooltewah program. It is definitely bittersweet for me,” said Hitchcox.
Hitchcox played for Caldwell during the 14 years he headed up the Rhea County program and is one of three former players to make it professionally. Caldwell also coached current San Francisco Giants pitcher Cory Gearrin.
“It was one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever made to leave Ooltewah but I wanted one more shot at leading a program and this felt like the right opportunity,” said Caldwell.
Greenback made its first-ever trip to the state baseball tournament this past spring just four years removed from not even fielding a baseball team. Greenback’s baseball coach Greg Ryan was recently named head football coach for the two-time defending state Class A runner-ups, and will also assist Caldwell on the baseball diamond. Caldwell has served as an assistant football coach for the Greenback squad on Friday nights for the past two years in which the team went 26-4. But it is baseball that has always been Caldwell’s passion.
He served as head coach at Rhea County from 1996 to 2010 and led the Eagles to two region finals and two state sectionals, including a still school-record 25 wins during the 2001 season. Caldwell also served as head coach at Lookout Valley from 2012 to 2014 before joining forces with Hitchcox at Ooltewah to form one of the top coaching tandems in the area.
“I’m a better baseball coach for having worked with Hitchcox and I’m definitely a better person. I’ve learned so much from him and he has added so much more to prepare me to do this head coaching thing one more time. He has added so much to my development on so many levels.
“You won’t find a better person than Brian Hitchcox and I’m blessed to have had him as a player who showed me what it looks like to give it your all to make yourself into a baseball player. I’m even more blessed to have had him as a friend, though, and that’s the hardest part of this,” said Caldwell.
Caldwell has also been the key figure behind the startup of the Hustle baseball developmental program, a local program that includes travel teams from ages ranging from 13-to-18. Caldwell’s fingerprints are all over the program as no less than eight former college players are part of the Hustle program’s core.
In all, Caldwell has seen a total of 49 of his former players see the opportunity to play college baseball and the Hustle program was an extension of that desire to see even more young players develop.
“With all the good things going on here with Hustle and all the relationships I have with so many great parents and baseball people locally, I certainly wasn’t looking for a job. But this is a really good opportunity and the timing was right,” Caldwell added.