One of the most respected assistant high school football coaches in the Chattanooga area now has his chance to oversee a program.
Taylor Harvey, who has been the defensive coordinator at Walker Valley the past five years, has been named head coach at Rhea County, which announced his hiring Wednesday.
“His resumé does not have head coaching experience, but he's proven what kind of coach he is,” Rhea County athletic director Micah Rueling said, “and everybody we talked to said he will be a fantastic head coach once somebody gives him that chance.
“We're very excited, because throughout the interview process, we just felt like he's a great fit for our program and someone who will do wonderful things for our kids. Coach Harvey knows what a community that loves football looks like and will help make Friday nights special here, so he is exactly the type of coach we were looking for.”
Harvey helped Walker Valley reach the TSSAA Class 5A semifinals last season with a defense that allowed an average of 15 points per game, including just 8.6 against league opponents as the Mustangs earned a share of the Region 4-5A title. He was named region defensive coach of the year for the second time, and he also won the Tennessee Football Coaches Association’s assistant coach of the year award for Class 5A.
A 2009 graduate of Sequatchie County High School, Harvey was on staff with the Indians for seven seasons — including when they reached the state semifinals in 2016 — prior to joining the Walker Valley staff.
“I’ve been fortunate enough to work with some really good coaches along the way, and that has helped prepare me for this opportunity,” Harvey said. “Whenever you hear ‘Rhea County football,’ you think about community support and deep playoff runs. That’s just what’s expected.”
Harvey takes over in Evensville after Mark Pemberton stepped down less than one month ago to become the head coach at Campbell County. Pemberton compiled an 87-45 overall record and won five region titles in 11 seasons with the Golden Eagles, including back-to-back state semifinal appearances in 2014-15.
Walker Valley and Rhea County both competed in Region 4-5A last season, with the Mustangs winning 42-12 against the Golden Eagles. Rhea County wound up finishing as the league's No. 3 seed — behind Walker Valley and McMinn County — for the playoffs and lost in the first round to wrap up a 5-6 season.
“It’s been a roller-coaster day, starting with having to tell the kids at Walker Valley, which was tough, and then the excitement of meeting the players at Rhea,"Harvey said. "You could feel the excitement in the room when I met with those players. I’m ready to get rolling.”
Contact Stephen Hargis at shargis@timesfreepress.com.