Mark Alexander, Tennessee Temple Academy’s “jack-of-all-trades,” has resigned from his many duties with the school.
In addition to working as Temple’s athletic director, this season Alexander coached boys’ and girls’ basketball, cross country and softball, as well as volleyball for a short time. He was the middle school football coach for two weeks before that sport was dropped.
Alexander, 42, is expected to take a job as an assistant with the men’s basketball program at Jackson (Miss.) State University in his hometown. He also likely will work with the athletic department’s marketing program.
“This is an opportunity for me to get back closer to home and was just something I couldn’t pass up,” said Alexander, who also has done some “stringer” work for the Times Free Press. “I have really enjoyed my time at Temple and have a lot of great memories, especially making it to the state tournament twice as a boys’ assistant.”
Alexander began working at Temple as sports information director three years ago. He was an assistant with the boys’ basketball program for two years before this past season and also was an assistant with the varsity football program, which was dropped two years ago. After the 2008-09 girls’ basketball season, his first as the head coach, Alexander was named District 5-A coach of the year for guiding the Lady Crusaders to a share of the regular-season district title.
Tennessee Temple principal Debbie Hamilton did not return repeated calls for comment.