Officials at Red Bank High School didn’t waste any time finding a replacement for girls basketball coach Bailey McGinnis, who announced her resignation from the program just six days ago to spend more time with her family.
Kevin Wilson, who has eight years experience as an assistant coach – including the past two as Nick Fike’s assistant at Red Bank, has been offered the job.
Wendell Weathers, the interim principal at Red Bank, had said last week that he hoped to find a replacement for McGinnis from someone already on the Red Bank faculty as there are currently no teaching positions available.
Wilson fit the bill.
"I'm humbled by this wonderful opportunity and thrilled that the Red Bank administration has this kind of confidence in me," Wilson said during a telephone conversation.
"I've been part of some really good staffs and have been able to learn from some really good coaches. I just want to try to pick up where Bailey left off as I'm moving into a house that's already built.
"I learned a lot from Bill Eller, who was my coach at Hixson and I've learned a lot from coach Fike here at Red Bank. I've been really blessed so far in my coaching career.
"I know these girls pretty well and have sat behind their bench for all of their games. We have some really good players coming up from the middle school, but one of my main goals is to develop some depth as we don't have many players," the 36-year-old Wilson explained.
"I know that the fall will be a busy time for me, but I'm excited about the challenge and look forward to carrying on great success in both programs," he concluded.
Wilson, who is also taking over as the head volleyball coach, graduated from Hixson in 2002 before getting an accounting degree from UTC in 2006. He currently teaches marketing and entrepreneurship at Red Bank.
“We’re happy to announce Kevin Wilson is our next girls basketball coach,” said Mandi Munn, Red Bank’s athletic director, through an email.
“He has proven to give his best to the students at Red Bank while working as Nick Fike’s assistant. He has eight years of successful coaching under his belt and we’re excited for him to lead our program,” Munn added.
“Kevin offers continued stability to our girls program who is a solid and proven educator who gets incredible effort and results from his results in the classroom. He has a deep technical knowledge of the sport of basketball,” Weathers added.
Coach Fike also had some positive words to add on Wilson’s behalf.
“Kevin is a diligent worker who strives to do everything the right way. He’s been an asset to our program in aiding our practices, games and especially in the film room. He’s inherited the nickname “wise man” from our players because of his schematics and knowledge of the game,” Fike nodded.
Wilson’s coaching career began in the fall of 2010 where he started a three-year stint as an assistant coach for the Hamilton Heights boys, who later won an NACA national championship in 2012.
He followed that with three years as a boys assistant at Soddy Daisy before joining the staff at Red Bank in May 2018.
The Red Bank girls return a veteran team next year after compiling a record of 28-7 and winning the District 6-AA regular-season title and tournament before finishing as runner-up to Meigs County in Region 3-AA.
(Email John Hunt at nomarathonmoose@gmail.com)