Tony Williams has been hired as girls' basketball coach at East Hamilton.
Williams replaces Derek Morris and takes over a program that was 7-18 overall and 1-10 in District 5-AAA this past season.
"Without God's blessing and his help, I wouldn't have this opportunity," Williams said. "I see East Hamilton as a sleeping giant in that there is potential for them to be successful quickly. Holly Smith has done a great job of building the middle school program."
Williams will finish the year in the Rhea County school system, where he coached a middle school girls' team that posted a 27-2 record this past season.
However, the former Lenoir City, Roane State and Tennessee Wesleyan player has served as a head coach at Lenoir City and Rhea County and also as a girls' and boys' assistant at Dyer County.
Williams also started a basketball program in Rhea County called Greenwave that encompasses kids as young as 2 years old. He has talked of beginning a similar program in the East Hamilton area.
"That is something I need to sit down with Coach (Hurricanes boys' coach Rodney) English about," Williams said. "We've had a lot of conversations about this partnership, but I want to identify needs. I know the elementary league is most important."
He said that while he is excited about the opportunity, he will regret leaving his Rhea County position.
"I have nothing but positive things to say about the community, from co-workers to the administration," he said. "I worked for some really good parents and with some really outstanding young ladies."
Williams said he planned to move into the East Hamilton area once he and his wife, Traci, vice president for institutional research and effectiveness at Tennessee Wesleyan, sell their home in Rhea County.
Contact Ward Gossett at wgossett@timesfreepress.com or 423-886-4765. Follow him at Twitter.com/wardgossett.