A former Vanderbilt University team captain is ready to make his new home in the Scenic City and help lead the boys' prep basketball program at East Hamilton.
Howard Pride is excited to lead the Hurricanes back to where they were just a few years ago, when the program had a 20-win season and back-to-back 19-win campaigns from 2020-23 before a down season this past winter with just seven wins.
Pride, the state of Alabama's Mr. Basketball during his high school days, went on to shine in the Music City, where he recorded 211 assists and was part of 70 wins while playing for Southeastern Conference member Vanderbilt from 1993-97.
"Growing up, I would drive through Chattanooga a lot going to Atlanta, and I would always wonder what would living here be like," Pride said. "Chattanooga is a medium-sized city and the perfect size for me. I am excited and ready to work with a first-class faculty and student-athletes at East Hamilton."
As a three-sport star at Butler High School in Huntsville, where he is now in his hometown's athletic hall of fame, Pride grew to love basketball as he was captivated by the greats such as Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan. He still enjoys watching professional basketball and believes Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets can repeat as NBA champions this year, while he thinks Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards — the former University of Georgia standout who is in his fourth pro season — is the game's next big star.
In his very first job out of college, Pride was an understudy to Belmont University's Rick Byrd, who retired from the Nashville program in 2019 with 802 career wins to rank among the top 15 in NCAA Division I men's basketball history.
Pride has more than 20 years of experience in college and high school athletics. He worked with the men's programs at both the University of Alabama and the University of Alabama at Birmingham as a director of operations, while he was an assistant on the staffs at Tennessee State, Howard University and Belmont.
He has coached boys' prep basketball at five schools: Alabama's Decatur (1999-01) — which finished as the Class 6A runner-up in his final season — Westminster Christian (2005-06), Alma Bryant (2013-14) and Mae Jemison (2022-24). Pride also spent five seasons as head coach of Stewarts Creek in Tennessee, which included an 18-12 mark in the 2021-22 season.
Staff photo by Patrick MacCoon / Baylor's Tomas Valincius throws a pitch in Thursday's shutout of Knoxville Catholic to win the TSSAA Division II-AA East Region tournament title.Baylor wins tourney
Baylor senior Nelson McKnight's three-run home run in the first inning hit the Red Raiders' scoreboard in right field Thursday night, and it stopped working soon after.
Baylor's bats did not, however, as the home team kept adding to the total, ultimately winning 10-0 in the TSSAA Division II-AA East Region tournament final against Knoxville Catholic.
Freshman Blake Lundy smashed a solo homer in the first, while senior Tomas Valincius struck out nine batters while allowing four hits and no walks, going the distance in a game shortened to six innings by the run rule.
Junior Camden Cloud cleared the bases with a double in the fourth inning, and Baylor (22-5) followed up winning its seventh straight regular-season region title last week by earning the region's postseason hardware as well.
Honors for Phillips
Bailee Phillips, a 2021 graduate of Red Bank High School, was recently named the Appalachian Athletic Conference softball pitcher of the year and an All-AAC first-team selection for her play for Tennessee Wesleyan (26-12).
Phillips went 14-3 with eight shutouts and a 1.06 ERA over 112 2/3 innings as she allowed just 65 hits and 27 walks while striking out 156 batters. At the plate, she led the Lady Bulldogs with 12 doubles, nine home runs and 42 RBIs.
In her final season at Red Bank, Phillips willed her team to the TSSAA Class 2A state tournament. That year she delivered 309 strikeouts in 190 innings with 24 wins and 12 shutouts. She also hit .464 with 12 home runs and 50 RBIs.
Heritage's tough task
The good news for the Heritage baseball team is the Generals have reached the GHSA Class AAAA quarterfinals under first-year coach David Dinger.
The bad news is the opponent awaiting them is one of the most loaded teams in the state.
Heritage (25-7) visits Starr's Mill (27-3) in a doubleheader start to the best-of-three series Monday in Fayetteville, with the Generals fresh off a second-round sweep of a talented Seckinger team Wednesday in Ringgold.
Starr's Mill, however, is on a different level.
The Panthers have at least eight high-level college recruits on the team, led by seniors Bo Walker (Georgia Tech) and Heath Whitlock (Mississippi State). They also have a Middle Tennessee State University signee and two seniors going to Georgia State to go along with sophomore Brock Rein, who has already committed to Georgia.
Starr's Mill is 4-0 through the first two rounds of state, having outscored its competition 48-2.
Bruins, Lions in semis
It's no surprise that multiple Northwest Georgia soccer teams are still alive in the state playoffs, but at least one team can be considered that.
Northwest Whitfield (9-7-4), a state champion in 2018, was just the No. 3 seed from Region 7-AAAA, but the Bruins have built off a brutal regular-season schedule to win three playoff games, including a huge 1-0 upset of Clarkston in round one.
Northwest will travel to Johnson of Gainesville for Friday's 7 p.m. semifinal Johnson is 17-1-1, with its lone loss to Dalton, a team Northwest tied.
Christian Heritage (9-4) faces a familiar foe in Friday's 6 p.m. Class A Division II semifinal against visiting Georgia Military College Prep (15-2), the team the Lions defeated in last year's state final.
Day of Champions
The Greater Chattanooga Fellowship of Christian Athletes will hold its 61st annual Day of Champions at 3 p.m. Sunday at Ridgedale Baptist Church, with the awards announced there to include the athlete of the year.
Given to a senior from the five-county area who most exemplifies FCA's core values of integrity, serving, teamwork and excellence, the winner receives the Gerald Sinkfield Memorial Scholarship.
The nominees are Jonathan Gain (Chattanooga Christian School), Cana Green (Sequatchie County), Cameron Grider (South Pittsburg), Dy'Hasia Hickman (Hamilton Heights Christian Academy), Zach Lynch (Silverdale Baptist Academy), Annie Marks (Baylor), Paige Martin (Soddy Daisy), Lynnea McClain (Tyner Academy), Edwin Pratt (McCallie), Gracie Pritchett (Girls Preparatory School), Olivia Ralston (Ooltewah), Emma Reeves (Rhea County), Maggie Rickerd (East Hamilton), Kaylee Smith (Sale Creek), Sabriyah Stallion (Chattanooga Girls Leadership Academy) and Alexis Vanhoozier (Central).
The public is invited to attend this free event.
Contact Patrick MacCoon at pmaccoon@timesfreepress.com and Lindsey Young at lyoung@timesfreepress.com.