What Rockvale football's Rick Rice is learning from area coaches who have started a new program

Cecil Joyce
Murfreesboro Daily News Journal

Oakland assistant football coach David Watson has been part of starting two high school football programs from the ground up in Rutherford County.

It's safe to say he could share a little advice with Rockvale High principal Steve Luker and Rockets football coach Rick Rice.

"I'm no expert, but hiring someone with experience that has had success at a new school is a big plus," said Watson, who helped his former coach David Alsup start up the Blackman program in 2000 and then was head coach in starting Siegel's football program in 2003.

"You're going to take a few lumps because it's a new school. But guys like (Rice) has had success before. He has a credibility factor that gives you an advantage during tough times. Being a young guy like I was, the struggles with being at a new school can wear on you, your confidence and your staff's confidence. (Rice) knows that. He's been there."

Rockvale High principal Steve Luker holds up one sample of the school's logo.

Rockvale will open in the fall and its football team will leap right into TSSAA varsity play in the highest classification (6A), joining the likes of Oakland, Blackman, Riverdale and Siegel.

It's the fourth new high school program in Rutherford County since 1999.

The most recent, Stewarts Creek, opened in 2013. The Red Hawks used Watson's philosophy in hiring longtime successful coach David Martin to head up its program.

Martin, now in the Tennessee Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame, said coaching players on the field is far from the hardest part of starting a program.

"Rockvale will be in the same situation we were in," said Martin, who retired following the 2018 season. "We had no facilities until summer to practice. We didn't have anywhere to hand out equipment until the end of July."

Watson and Martin said that finding a place to practice, ordering equipment and not having a spring practice were the most challenging parts of starting from scratch.

Luker knows those will be obstacles for Rice as well, but said patience and sticking with the plan are the best ways to progress.

"Right now the biggest concern will be playing surfaces," said Luker. "We have a brand new grass field and it's softer, not settled. You hope your Bermuda (grass) survives the winter and hope it has a great growing season. We need that. The practice field is not sodded yet. That will happen. Those two are a concern to me."

Martin and Watson struggled through initial practices, not being able to convene at their respective new schools.

"Our first year, we had no place to practice, even on campus," said Martin. "We had to use the (Stewarts Creek) middle school field and practice at 6:30 in the morning. That was the only time we could. That made it difficult. You never knew who was going to get up and show up for practice. It's a real obstacle to overcome, trying to start a culture."

"We practiced at Northside Baptist Church," Watson added. "It was a short walk. It wasn't really a football field. We would bring lawnmowers from home and (assistant) coach (Will) Hester would mow it. We lined it up the best we could. We spent the first two-thirds of the season there. About fall break we were able to get on our practice field."

Longtime Wayne County football coach Rick Rice was named the first head football coach at Rockvale High.

Rice, a 33-year coaching veteran, has picked the brains of area coaches, including Oakland's Kevin Creasy, Blackman's Kit Hartsfield and Riverdale's Will Kriesky, to help with the transition at Rockvale.

"Probably the main thing I've gotten (advice on) is try not to do everything in one day," said Rice, who spent the previous 21 years as head coach at Wayne County and will finish the current school year there. "You've got to focus on one thing and get it done.

"When I first started, I had a lot of things going through my mind ... it was 'Get this done, get that done.' I talked to one coach who started a program and he told me to take a deep breath and do one thing at a time."

Luker is still awaiting approval on several applicants chosen to complete Rice's staff, but both believe it will be a good group.

"You have to surround yourself with good people," Rice said. "I've got that with (Luker) and (assistant principal and athletic director) Jason Crutchfield. We're going to have a good staff in place. From a coaching standpoint, that will make the transition easier for me and the program."

What's the best advice Watson and Martin would have for Rice?

"Looking back on it, it's been a long time since Siegel," said Watson, who was Blackman's head coach for three seasons (2015-17). Some of the things we were able to do — building a field house, getting facilities going — all those things, looking back now, were gratifying. At the time when you were in battles and all of that, you don’t take time to recognize the little gains you made. I’m sure it’s an exciting time for Coach Rice."

Added Martin, "Don’t let the challenges of a new program deter you from doing what is right in building a program. If you're not careful, you'll get sidetracked of challenges or things you don’t have. And you can’t let that deter you from staying true to the culture you want to build.”

Reach Cecil Joyce at cjoyce@dnj.com or 615-278-5168 and on Twitter @Cecil_Joyce.

More:Rockvale High close to naming football coach, has 2019 football schedule set

More:USC football recruiting: Blackman's Adonis Otey flips from Arkansas on signing day