Jason Jarrett is entering his first season as the head football coach at Happy Valley, but he will be the first to tell you that he isn’t going at it alone. Walking arm and arm with him will be his seven assistant coaches, in whom he has the utmost confidence.
“I really believe in our coaching staff and I think we have seven guys on staff that I would give anything for,” Jarrett said. “They are high-intensity and they are very, very knowledgeable. There rapport with the kids is unbelievable. I truly believe that we have one of the best staffs in Tennessee.”
Randy Ferrell and Todd Caldwell will return to the Warriors’ sidelines. The rest of the staff will be new, but their faces will be familiar to the people of Carter County.
“It’s a great mix of old and new,” he said. “We all gel together really well, and if once of us has an idea, then we put it on the board, we look at it from every different angle, then we make a decision and we move on. And as a head coach, I’m open to any and all ideas. This is my first year, so I am going to need all the help that I can get.”
Ferrell will help with the coaching the quarterback and the inside linebackers, while Caldwell will assist with the quarterbacks and the outside linebackers.
Making the jump from coaching the middle school team last season will be Adam Copeland. He will handle the duties of coaching the wide receivers and defensive backs.
Gerald Jenkins, a former longtime Elizabethton assistant, will join the Warriors’ staff after taking the past couple of years off. He will return to the sidelines to handle the duties of the outside linebackers and assist with the offensive line. But his main responsibility will be as defensive coordinator.
Greg Hyder has also returned to the program after a hiatus. The former defensive coordinator under Stan Ogg and Scotty Verran will help with both lines and also assist with the defensive play calls.
Justin Bowling is the head strength and conditioning coach that will also handle the running backs and helping with the outside linebackers.
Former Unaka Ranger and recent Carson-Newman Eagle offensive lineman Jordan Taylor will be making his first dab into coaching as he the offensive line coach for Warriors.
While their is a wide age range for the Happy Valley coaches, they have all still be able to bond with one another and the players. It doesn’t hurt that they all share the same mentality and a common approach to the game.
“We are all the same level, very high intensity and high energy levels,” Jarrett said. “We talk to our kids about believing that they can be successful and having success through hard work. These coaches work their tails off. I can’t tell you the number of hours that we have spent at the field house.”
The coaches, along with the players, also share one common goal. To bring wins to Happy Valley.
“I am so excited to see us and how we perform this season,” Jarrett said. “And a lot of that is a testament to these coaches. It’s an exciting time on Warrior Hill right now.”