Heritage goes to rival to find next girls' basketball coach

Staff file photo by C.B. Schmelter / Longtime Ringgold boys' basketball coach Greg Elkins will lead a girls' basketball program for the first time as he takes over across town at Heritage.
Staff file photo by C.B. Schmelter / Longtime Ringgold boys' basketball coach Greg Elkins will lead a girls' basketball program for the first time as he takes over across town at Heritage.

Heritage High School athletic director Eric Schexnaildre announced Wednesday the hiring of Greg Elkins as the school's next girls' basketball coach.

Elkins has been the boys' basketball coach at Ringgold for 12 seasons, a stretch in which his Tigers won 182 games, with three 20-win seasons, a pair of 19-win campaigns and seven playoff appearances. At Heritage he replaces Eddie Bryant, who recently resigned after being the program's coach since its inception.

"We had talked a couple of years ago, and we've stayed in touch since," Schexnaildre said of Elkins, who will also serve as Heritage's associate athletic director. "He mentioned down the road that it would be neat if he had the opportunity to coach his daughter, who is a fourth or fifth grader, some day. That stayed in my mind."

Schexnaildre added that Elkins is "what you want in a program. He's always maximized his players' ability and gotten a lot out of his kids. He does it the right way and will be a great fit for us."

photo Staff file photo / Greg Elkins, Ringgold boys' basketball coach for a dozen years, has been hired to take over the Heritage girls' basketball program.

Elkins, who informed his former players Wednesday via video conference call, said moving on was a difficult choice.

"It was probably the hardest decision I've had to make professionally," Elkins said. "Eighteen years at Ringgold, with 12 at the high school level, is a long time. I've made some great friends there, and I can't thank the Ringgold administration enough, not only as a coach but as someone who has grown as a person because of them."

Elkins, who has never coached a girls' team, said he already has a few sources in mind to help make the transition.

"I'm good friends with Katie Burrows, so you can bet I'm going to hit her up for advice," he said of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga women's basketball coach, who previously coached at Ringgold. "There's also Hazel Brown, who, as everyone knows, was a great coach here, as well as (current Ringgold girls' basketball coach) Margaret Stockburger. Those are three pretty good ones to learn from."

Contact Lindsey Young at lyoung@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6296. Follow him on Twitter @youngsports22.

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