New Cleveland football coach Scott Cummings raids his hand as he is introduced before the Cleveland-Bradley Central high school wrestling meet Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2015, at Cleveland Middle School in Cleveland, Tenn. (Staff Photo by Doug Strickland)Cleveland High School has hired a coach with a winning track record to take over its football program.
School officials announced Tuesday afternoon that they have reached an agreement with Scott Cummings.
This past season, Cummings took Knoxville West to the Class 5A state championship and a 14-1 record. The Rebels' lone loss was in Week 2 to eventual Class 6A champion Maryville, 31-16. Their 13 straight wins included a 35-28 playoff semifinal victory at Rhea County. They won the state title with a 23-6 victory over Hillsboro.
"We just got dialed in through a mutual friend," Cleveland athletic director Eric Phillips said. "We talked on the phone for a couple of hours and then met several times over the next week."
It wasn't as if Cummings was looking, but Phillips piqued the coach's curiosity and the rapport and mutual interest grew.
"I told myself I wasn't going to look at any jobs," Cummings said. "There's always a little heartache for family in those situations, but when I talked with Eric it was very easy to see the passion he had, and then when I came down to visit it was the same with Mrs. (Autumn) O'Bryan (the principal). And then when I met with Dr. (Martin) Ringstaff (the superintendent), he showed a tremendous amount of support.
"That's different for me. I had great support in the building and within the parents/booster club, but the coaches at Cleveland showed a willingness to share athletes and root for one another. It seems like one big family. There are 14 high schools in the Knox County system, and that doesn't include five more private schools. I was ready to get to a smaller school system with more identity."
Phillips didn't know the exact number of applicants but said he had a huge folder filled with resumes, inquiries and emails.
"Scott emerged right away. Once we communicated, it was pretty clear pretty quick that his vision and our vision were aligned," Phillips said. "We felt like he was a perfect candidate. He wins on the field, but he also has study hall for his players, does camps for younger players and was big in their youth leagues. He's doing things we want to do as well."
"I am very excited to join a community that cares about developing the student into a well-rounded athlete," Cummings said in a media release from the Cleveland City Schools board of education. "Cleveland City Schools is passionate about its schools with its high school as the centerpiece. I look forward to being a part of Cleveland High School, which has seen success on many levels. My family is thankful for the opportunity to be a part of the Cleveland community."
He succeeds Ron Crawford, who resigned in December to return to Brentwood.
Crawford spent three seasons at Cleveland, putting together records of 5-5, 10-4 and, most recently, 6-6. The Blue Raiders made it to the state semifinals in 2013 before losing to Cummings' West team 49-14.
Over the past five seasons, West has a 58-12 record and got as far as the state semifinals in 2010 and 2011 before a runner-up finish in 2013. They went 9-3 in 2012 with a 1-1 postseason record.
"Scott understands the value of education in the classroom as well as the education taught on the playing fields," Phillips said. "He is a proven winner, a program builder and a player developer."
Cummings, who'll begin his duties at Cleveland the first week of February, is the Blue Raiders' fifth coach in the past 14 years. He has a career head coaching record -- all at West -- of 101-58. He and his wife, Amy, have two elementary-school-age sons.
Contact Ward Gossett at wgossett@timesfreepress.com or 423-886-4765. Follow him at Twitter.com/wardgossett.