Westview names boys basketball, baseball coaches

During the month of May, two coaching vacancies opened up at Westview High School, but by the end of the month, both of those positions were filled.

The Chargers were looking for a new boys basketball coach after Mike Greer left to take the job at Henry County, while Brian Allen resigned following the baseball season.

Westview hired from within for boys basketball, promoting long-time assistant Ed Baker to the head role.

Baker has been an assistant for the boys basketball team for around 21 years, but his military service caused him to shy away from taking the head job.

"This is the first time that I have seriously tried to get it," Baker said. "I have been hesitant because of my military commitment. When I got deployed in 2013, it would have been hard if I was the head coach."

For baseball, the Westview administration came to Jackson to get former Liberty head coach Danny Giles.

"It has always been my dream to coach at a school that was the only high school in the town," Giles said. "When we had the meet and greet, I could see that the town of Martin is really behind their athletic teams. They made me feel warm and welcome."

Westview baseball is coming off of its best seasons in recent history with a berth into the region semifinals.

"You always want to build on what you take over," Giles said. "That is what the guys want, that is what the administration wants and that is what the community wants. Everybody is invested into this program."

For Baker, it was a tough decision of balancing military service, family and basketball.

"I have been in the military 24 years, and I am not sure how much longer I will be in," Baker said. "I have a son going into the eighth grade this year. I thought Greer would be here six or seven years when he took the job, and I didn't know when the door would open again."

Baker will take all of the philosophies of coaches he has worked with to have his own plan for the Westview boys.

"I think it will be a mixture of all of them," Baker said. "I liked a lot of the things that Coach Greer did, and he was very successful. I like some of the things that JB Suiter did, and there things that Tim Britt did that I was a fan of. I will incorporate all of them. There were about six or seven that molded me."

With basketball camps this week, Baker wants to working on the adjustment period.

"We will be transitioning the older guys from me being an assistant to me bing a head coach," Baker said. "The interaction is different. We are going to be setting the standard with the returners. The younger players, we will look at what you had to do for middle school to what you have to do in high school."

Reach Michael Odom at michodom@jacksonsun.com or 731-425-9754. Follow him on Twitter @JSWriterMichael.