As far as challenges go, turning around the McMinn County High School boys' basketball program is small change to Ed Clendenen.
Hired this week to replace Keith Elliott, who stepped down after coaching the Cherokees for 21 seasons, Clendenen returns to Athens, where he coached the girls' program from 1996 to 2000. Since that time he won numerous state and region titles as a basketball, golf and volleyball coach at Gordon Lee for 14 years before spending the past two years as an assistant basketball and football coach at North Murray.
The veteran coach is also in the final stages of a victory over cancer. Though he knows that battle always will be fought on one level or another, Clendenen says he's healthy and ready to take on his latest challenge.
"It was a hard decision, but I'm really excited to go back home," said Clendenen, who also had high praise for North Murray principal Dr. Maria Bradley and basketball coach Tim Ellis. "McMinn County is a special place, and the principal, John Burroughs, and the athletic director, Jimmy Haynie, were there when I was there and it's just a comfortable feeling.
"My health is good. I finished chemotherapy three weeks ago, and hopefully I won't have to do it for five or six years."
As a basketball coach, Clendenen has 418 wins, 10 region titles, two district titles, 12 region coach of the year awards and three Times Free Press Best of Prep coach of the year awards. He also has 233 wins as a volleyball coach to go with four region titles and six region coaching and two Best of Preps coaching awards.
As a golf coach he won three state championships, five region titles and was twice the state coach of the year and two more times the Best of Preps coach of the year.
"Ed's accomplishments certainly stand out, and it's a big part of the reason we're so excited to have him back," Haynie said. "I told him we can take care of it if you need something else to do.
"Sometimes programs need to be revitalized, and we feel like Ed will do a good job of replacing Keith Elliott, who is a great man and coach. We knew Ed was quality all the way, and his record speaks for it."
Clendenen said he will just coach basketball at McMinn for now and he's eager to get started after meeting the team this week.
"They seem like good young men and I'm really excited to start working with them," he said. "I love it at North Murray, but when I saw the job at McMinn was open after 21 years, I felt I had to apply. It's worked out great."
Contact Lindsey Young at lyoung@timesfreepress.com or at 423-757-6296.