When David Conrady took the job as McCallie School’s varsity basketball coach four years ago, his chief reason for doing so was to, in his words, “help the players reach their goals beyond basketball and point them in the direction of Christ.”
On Friday, after winning 63 games and losing 38 at the head of a program in the TSSAA’s ultracompetitive Division II-AA, Conrady announced he was stepping down from his post with the Blue Tornado – not so much because of his record on the court but his impact off it.
“When I got back into coaching four years ago after working with Score International, I didn’t want to make it about winning and losing,” Conrady said. “I wanted it to be more about my relationships with the players. As this season was winding down, I just didn’t feel like I was having the impact with these young men off the court that I wanted to have.
“It’s time for the school to find somebody else to try and do that.”
Score International is a Chattanooga-based mission organization, with some of the work involving athletics. At McCallie, Conrady succeeded John Shulman, a former University of Tennessee at Chattanooga men’s basketball coach whose Mocs staff included Conrady as associate head coach. Shulman left McCallie after four seasons to become the head coach at the University of Alabama in Huntsville.
Conrady, who also has experience as a head coach on the college level, had previously been the head coach at Chattanooga Christian School and was working as a high school coach in Texas before being hired by McCallie.
The school said it would immediately begin a search for Conrady’s replacement.
“I thank David for his service to McCallie School and to our basketball program,” headmaster Lee Burns said. “His strong Christian character and humility have had a positive influence on many of us at McCallie. We wish him the best.”
The Blue Tornado finished this season 21-7 overall, going 3-5 in DII-AA’s East Region and missing the state tournament.
Contact Mark Wiedmer at mwiedmer@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @TFPWeeds.