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.