CLEVELAND, Tenn. — Despite taking his teams to a trio of TSSAA Sectionals and two state tournament bids, in the last half dozen seasons, Cleveland boys basketball head coach Reggie Tucker is looking for a new job.
After a standout prep career in the early 1990s and having been a part of the Runnin' Raider success the last 14 years, Cleveland City Schools announced Thursday that "Reggie Tucker will not return as head coach of the Cleveland High School boys basketball team for the upcoming school year.
"We’re grateful to Coach Tucker for the time, energy, and dedication he’s given to our students and our basketball program during his time with us.
"The process to identify the next head coach will begin soon, and we remain committed to supporting our student-athletes and continuing the strong tradition of Blue Raider basketball."
Graduating from CHS in 1993, Tucker was a speedy guard on the hardwood and went on to play two years at Hiwassee College, in Madisonville, before signing with Utah State and playing the 1997-98 season in the Southeastern Conference for Louisiana State University.
He returned to his alma mater and served as an assistant coach to former head coach Jason McCowan for eight years, before taking over the Raider reins in 2019.
Building on what he and McCowan had developed, Tucker took his first team to the top of the AP state rankings, winning their first 29 games before suffering their lone loss on a controversial ending against archrival Bradley Central in the District 5-AAA Tournament championship game.
His Runnin' Raiders bounced back the following season to win the Region 3 crown and defeated Siegel in the TSSAA Sectional, punching their ticket to the state tournament, but the COVID shutdown stopped all action the week before the event.
Cleveland went 33-1 in his first season as head coach.
He led them back to a third straight State Championship event (2018-19 under McCowan), going 22-8 in the 2020-21 campaign. Tucker's first two teams went 23-1 in regular season District 5 play.
After suffering through the program's first sub .500 record at 13-18 in 2021-22, but still making the Region 3 Tournament, Tucker had Cleveland back on top the following season, posting a 23-10 overall and 10-2 district mark. Having to travel to Murfreesboro for the Sectionals, the Raiders fell to Blackman, coming up a win shy of making another state tournament.
The last two seasons, Cleveland has struggled through the two worst seasons in school history, going 6-20 in 2023-34 and 10-17 this past winter, failing to make the region both times.
Tucker becomes the second head coach let go by the school, joining former head football coach Chandler Tygard, who was terminated in early April after it became known he was actively seeking to leave the program after just two seasons at the helm.