Sequatchie County coach Anita Barker talks to players in this file photo.Anita Barker has resigned as the girls' basketball coach at Sequatchie County High School after 15 seasons.
She said she made the decision to allow her to watch her two daughters play college basketball and to help look after her mother, who is in poor health.
"I want to be able to travel to see my two girls play more and my mom needs me right now, so knowing the amount of time it takes to invest into a program, I just felt like I needed to step back for now," Barker said. "There just comes a point in time where you need to put family and life ahead of your career, and that's where I am right now. I may coach again somewhere down the line, but I'm ready to take a couple of years off."
The Maryville native directed the Lady Indians to three consecutive District 7-AA championships, 2007-09, and twice took them to sectionals. After winning just one game in her first season, Barker built the Lady Indians into a program that averaged more than 25 wins from 2006 to '09.
She will continue teaching biology at the Dunlap school.
"She's a super person, teacher and coach, and we hate to see her step down, but I understand why she's doing it," principal Tommy Layne said. "She's one of the best classroom teachers I've seen, so we're grateful she will still be on our faculty.
"I'm proud of what she's done for the program. They've been consistently at or near the top for years."
Layne said anyone interested in applying for the coaching job should contact him at the school at 423-949-2154.