CHARLESTON, Tenn. — Leaving Walker Valley girls' basketball program looking for its seventh head coach in 15 years, Paul Sausville and his assistant coaches are stepping away from the sideline.
"Last week I received a scholarship from Lee (University) to continue my EdS, as well as an offer to start teaching part-time there again, while still teaching full-time here (at WVHS)," he related.
"Class (at Lee) starts the first week in June, so I let (principal) Dr.
(Candice) Belt and (Athletic Director) Coach (Mike) Turner know I’m resigning my coaching position at the end of the semester."
"I have been teaching at Walker Valley High School for nine years, 23 total in Bradley County. I have coached basketball these last seven seasons, five in the boy's program, the last two as the head coach of the girls' program," related Sausville.
"It has been a time of tremendous growth — learning, teaching, adjusting, figuring out how to get better on and off the court - for me personally, for my family, and for a bunch of tremendous young people and their families. I will treasure these relationships the rest of my days.
"Hoops reveals so much about the character we have already developed - how patient we are, how resilient we are, how willing we are to sacrifice for the greater good," he continued.
"And it also gives us so many opportunities to develop a greater understanding of ourselves and how important others are to living a full and fulfilled life. Basketball has been that mentor to me at WV these past seven years.
"It’s been amazing being court-side for some pretty fantastic performances, crosstown rivalry games, tournament games, regional matchups come to mind - back-to-back years on the road at White County with the boys to taking the Lady Raiders down to the final possession at Jim Smiddy Arena in a semifinal game with the girls program," commented Sausville.
"I am honored and humbled to have been a part of an era of such high-level basketball in this area, a golden age it seems of Tennessee girls' basketball. I’m grateful for the coaching experience.
"I’m grateful to have shared it with my wife Sarah (Sausville, a WV assistant coach) beside me on the bench. I’m grateful to have coached all three of my sons in a Walker Valley uniform," he proclaimed.
"I’m grateful to (WV boy's basketball) Coach Will Campbell, Coach Mike Turner, and Dr. Candice Belt for the chance to be on the sideline and the chance to mentor scholar athletes. I’m grateful for (Mustang assistant coach) Dine Patterson, (Lady Mustang assistant coaches) Linda Dyszkiewicz and Matt Parris for their friendship, there are few things like the bond of coaching together in the trenches of competition.
"I’m especially grateful for all the young athletes who have been willing to listen and work and trust us as a unique influence and voice in their life. Their love for each other, for my family, and for the game is a treasure.
"For all of my gratefulness, I must also say that I am also excited for the next chapter of my life as a professional educator, the chance to learn and share and continue to be a part of something bigger than myself, to be a part of a different kind of team."
Since legendary coach David Tucker left the program after a 253-54 record (82.4%) in the first nine seasons, including a pair of TSSAA State Tournament bids, the Lady Mustang program has gone through a half dozen coaches.
After Tucker (2001-10) left to coach in Georgia, Jan Spangler directed the Herd to a 25-3 mark and a district runner-up finish in 2010-11, before returning to Lee University as an assistant coach.
Jessica Stone took the reins for three seasons (2011-14), going 43-47, before longtime Charleston head coach Junior Tucker came out of retirement for the 2014-15 season, directing them to a 21-9 overall.
Former Bradley Central head coach Paul Cretton (2015-19) and former Soddy Daisy coach Drew Lyness (2019-23) led the Lady Mustangs for four years each. Cretton's crew went 57-59, including 17-11 and 18-12 in the back-to-back campaigns of 2015-17, while Lyness was 45-64, with just one winning season at 16-15 his final campaign.
After five years as an assistant coach for the Walker Valley boys, Sausville posted a 20-38 overall mark in his two seasons with the girls, including going 14-14 this past winter.