Hasselbeck era begins at Ensworth
Former NFL QB, ESPN analyst Tim Hasselbeck begins first season as the Tigers’' head coach.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) - On a rainy Monday night at Ensworth, spring football practice is forced indoors, and new coach Tim Hasselbeck and his staff have to adjust.
“Post outside, late outside. Make sense?” Tim Hasselbeck tells his young quarterbacks on the Tigers roster.
This scene was forged back in December when Tim Hasselbeck, an ESPN analyst who’s lived in Nashville for the past eight years, accepted the job to coach at the school where he sent his three kids.
“We love Nashville,” said Tim Hasselbeck.
“We love the Ensworth community and so for us it was kind of one of these things where like, wow, this is God kind of telling us there are so many things that kind of happen. At some point, he shows you too many things, it’s kind of hard to say no.,” said Tim Hasselbeck.
So Tim said yes.
And his brother volunteered to help.
An 18-year NFL veteran himself, Matt Hasselbeck is moving from Boston, where he coached high school ball the last two years, to be the Tigers’ offensive coordinator.
“When he was named Head Coach here, I said to him, I said you have no idea. I’m gonna come help you. I’ll run the offense. You can worry about all the other things you don’t even know are coming,” said Matt.
“My mom said if there’s ever a problem on the sidelines she’s gonna come down and grab me by the ear. But, she’ll have to grab him by the ear because it’ll be his fault,” the former Titans QB added with a smile.
Working in Tim’s favor in this new adventure is his relationship with some of his players.
”He coached me in fifth and sixth grade. I love the way he coached. I know it was not obviously high school football. But, I just know that he’ll put a good program together here,” said rising junior tight end/outside linebacker Eli Wilt.
“He’s kind of like a Dad to me,” said Bishop Starling, a Tigers receiver, running back and cornerback.
“He just takes me under his arm. He’ll do anything for me. He’ll do anything for any of us, he just loves us. First thing I did was text Taylor, his younger son, because, he’s still one of my best friends to this day. And I was like I can’t wait to get to work with you.”
The work is just beginning ... for everyone.
Hasselbeck understands Ensworth’s tradition of success.
Now, it’s his turn to try to build on it.
“Really, what we want to be able to do is be guys who influence these young players throughout the rest of their lives. We really feel that way,” said Tim.
“We all want to win. At the same time, I think success for me is when some of these kids that are playing now are my age, they look back at their four years of playing football at Ensworth High School as four of the best years of their lives.”
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