Josh PayneJosh Payne is coming home. Sort of.
The 32-year old Payne, who grew up going to Lookout Valley high school football games with his family, has been named head coach of the Yellow Jackets.
"My dad, uncles and pretty much everybody in my family besides my mom graduated from Lookout Valley, so ever since I can remember we would go watch their games," Payne said. "It was a very humbling moment to get the call. I'm very excited to be the leader of the Lookout Valley program.
"I've always kept a notebook so I could write down ideas and good and bad things that I wanted to remember so I would be prepared when I got my chance to be a head coach. I know this program needs some stability, and I think it has a lot of potential."
This will be the first head coaching job for Payne. He has a combined 12 years of experience as an assistant at East Ridge - where he graduated in 2004 - and Signal Mountain, where he spent the past five years, including the past two as defensive coordinator, associate head coach and strength and conditioning coach.
Last season, Signal Mountain's defense held five opponents to an average of seven or fewer points per game as the Eagles earned a spot in the Class 3A playoffs.
"I've coached every position there is, on both sides of the ball, and I owe a lot to all the coaches I've worked with who prepared me for this," Payne said. "Now we'll start the process of putting a staff together, and I'm really anxious to spend some time in the school, getting to know the kids and recruiting the halls for more players."
Payne becomes the 14th head coach in program history and the fourth in as many seasons. He replaces David Dinger, who is retiring.
"We talked to some really good people who brought a lot to the table, but we just felt really good about what Josh can bring to the program," said Dinger, who is also the school's athletic director. "He was impressive in his interview and with what he's done as an assistant.
"Josh is very organized and has a strong vision for where he wants to take our program. He's knowledgeable on the field but also in the weight room. With his energy and knowledge, we felt like he was a great fit to get kids out here and develop them."
Contact Stephen Hargis at (423) 757-6293 or shargis@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @StephenHargis.