Keitha Booker hasn't been this excited since his playing days. Booker, a former star at Franklin High who later played and was a 10-year assistant at Chattanooga State, is the new boys' basketball coach at Tyner Academy.
"I can't wait," said Booker, who will serve as Tyner's dean of students. "I'm really excited to have the chance to coach at a program with so much history and great players. There's a little anxiety there when you go into a program like Tyner, because you know there are expectations, but I'm looking forward to it.
"I've already spoken with the kids and I want them to know that we'll be up-tempo and play good defense, but I'm even more interested in helping them with their academics and becoming productive men. I've got big shoes to fill, but I'm hoping to take them to the next level."
Booker, 40, takes over for Gerald Harris, who helped the Rams win 20-plus games four times in the past seven seasons, reaching the Class AA state tournament twice. Besides working with the Chattanooga State program, Booker has coached at East Ridge Middle School for 15 years and was an assistant for Ooltewah High last season.
"The bottom line is it's a really good opportunity for him and for us because he's a young guy who's bringing a lot of energy into the program," Tyner athletic director Wayne Turner said.
Contact Stephen Hargis at shargis@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6293.