For Justin Barnes, Chattanooga will always be home.
Barnes who prepped at Red Bank and played colliegiately at UTC has spend the last eight years coaching in Georgia.
Now he will be coming back to the Chattanooga area as he was named the new head football coach at Soddy Daisy on Friday.
He replaces Kevin Orr who resigned in December with a 18-24 record in the last four seasons as the Trojan head man.
Barnes graduated from Red Bank in 1999 and played at UTC from 1999-2002 and served as a graduate assistant from 2003-04 seasons.
He then went to Georgia where he coached at Central Gwinnett (2005), Oconee County (2006-11) and Dacula (2012).
He was the Offensive Coordinator and Quarterbacks coach at Oconee County and spent last season as the wide receivers coach at Dacula high school.
"Justin has coaching experience that qualified him for the position," Soddy Daisy Principal John Maynard said. "The more we talked and interviewed him the more apparent it was the he is the right person for us."
Cocke County Names Tusculum Assistant head coach
After an extensive two month search for their next head football coach, Cocke County finally has their man.
Tusculum running backs coach and Director of Football Operations Caleb Slover has been named as the 14th Coach in Fighting Cock history.
"I am very excited for the opportunity to be the Head Coach at Cocke County," Slover said. " I would like to thank everyone in the Cocke County Schools that have put their trust in me to lead this program."
He replaces Greg Hacker who complied a 9-21 record in three seasons as the head man.
Hacker who resigned in November led Cocke County to their first playoff appearance in 2011, a year in which the Fighting Cocks went 5-6.
Cocke County is coming off a 3-7 campaign and the Fighting Cocks haven't had a winning season since an 8-3 campaign in 1996.
"Caleb Slover has the experience, training and proven leadership that will most benefit the students of Cocke County High School as head football coach," Cocke County Principal Marvin Stewart said.
Slover, 33, has spent the last seven seasons on the Tusculum staff under head coach Frankie Debusk's staff.
"I would like to thank Coach Frankie DeBusk and Tusculum College for the last 7 years in allowing me to be a part of something special," Slover said. "There is a lot of work to be done and I am very eager to get started with the other coaches."
Slover played quarterback at Tusculum for two seasons in 2000 and 2001.
Slover, an Anderson County graduate played two seasons at Georgia Military College before becoming a record breaking quarterback at Tusculum.
He set six passing records at Tusculum which have been broken and is a 2010 Tusculum Sports College Hall of Fame.
His record breaking college career got him some playing time in Arena 2 for three seasons before returning to Tusculum.
More College Commitments
With only six days until a national Signing Day on Wednesday February 6, some more players have committed to play at the next level.
Memphis Central
Thomas Adams, DB, Gardner Webb
Jeremy Buffington, QB, Concordia JC
Andre Hammon, DE, Alabama St
Lorenzo Herman, LB, Campbell University
Anthony Holmes, LB, Arkansas Monticello
Josh Sandlin, RB, Alabama A & M
Martavious Starks, DB, Bethel
Jason Stewart, DB, Concordia JC
Nick Strickland, OL, Bethel
Columbia
Dre Hall, WR, North Alabama
Matthew Markham, QB, Harding University
Malik Church, LB, Harding University
Desmond Owens, OL/DL, Harding University
Chris Martin, RB, Wofford
Craigmont
Walter Crutchfield, RB, Memphis
Dorian Robinson, LB, Bethel
DaMecio Ewing, WR, Coahoma JC (MS) Devin Williams, DL, Coahoma JC (MS)
Blackman
Dee Mathers, RB, Univ. Of the Cumberlands
Quindell Cousin, WR, Berry College
Chris Lilly, WR/DB, Bethel
Trezevant
Joshua Jones, DE, Mississippi Valley State
LeMarcus Stewart, WR, Missouri State
Arlington
Drew Reed, QB, Lafayette College (PA)
Boyd Buchanan
Malik Brewer, OL, Tusculum
Brentwood Academy
D'Montre Wade, RB, Murray State
CPA
Robert Brown, TE/LB, Mercer
Goodpasture
Jedediah Vivio, OL, Murray State
Seqouyah
Blake Huffman, RB/LB, Tusculum
Whites Creek
Michael Cain, DT, Tennessee Tech
White Station
Jerry Thompson, DB, Navy
Contact Donovan at donovans1222@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter at Examine_Stew
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