Boyd-Buchanan School athletic director Tommy Brown and head of school Jill Hartness have assembled an advisory board and search committee that will begin the process of finding a new head football coach.
After former coach Carter Cardwell resigned one month before the current season, the school hired Kevin Rodriguez as its interim coach. Rodriguez will be among the candidates considered for the head coaching position, but the school also wanted to open the position to other candidates.
“We’ve got a successful group of representatives who have a vested interest in Boyd-Buchanan athletics and football,” said Brown, a 1989 graduate of the school who was hired by his alma mater in June. “I appreciate their time, passion and willingness to help us find the right fit for a coach and advise us on ways to effectively compete at the (TSSAA) Division II level.
“We anticipate having a great deal of interest because of our past success, high-quality athletic facilities and incredibly loyal fan support from the Buccaneers community. Coach Rodriguez is an incredible man and has done a good job under difficult circumstances, and he will be considered for the job.”
The committee will consist of chairman John Healy (class of 1995), Hamilton County assistant district attorney Alan Dunn (2000), former University of Tennessee at Chattanooga head coach and Buffalo Bills general manager Buddy Nix, Dr. Garrick Cason, Dr. Jason Wamack (1992), Covenant Transport CEO Joey Hogan (1980), hall of fame broadcaster Randy Smith and Shea Sartin.
Brown and dean of students Joe Pope also will be involved in the interview process.
In the last decade, Boyd-Buchanan has won 10-plus games in a football season five times, finishing as state runner-up once and reaching the semifinals twice more. The Bucs went 11-1, were ranked No. 1 in Class 2A and earned the region championship in 2015 and are just two years removed from a seven-win season and playoff appearance. But they finished 2-8 last year and are currently 0-6, leading the administration to begin the process of identifying a coach who can rebuild the program.
“We are fully committed as an institution to get our football program back on track,” Hartness said.
The middle school program is having success – the eighth-grade team is 6-1 and the sixth-grade team is 8-1 – which Brown believes should help provide potential candidates with a vision of the athletes they would have to work with.
Contact Stephen Hargis at shargis@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6293. Follow him on Twitter @StephenHargis.