Hillary Hodges named MTCS girls basketball coach; Lynn Burkey moves to assistant

Two coaches are swapping roles in the Middle Tennessee Christian girls basketball program next season.

Hillary Hodges, who coached Riverdale to a 2010 Class AAA state championship and spent the past season as an assistant at MTCS, will take over as the team's head coach in 2019-20.

Former Lady Cougars head coach Lynn Burkey will assume the role of assistant coach and will continue teaching at the school.

Hodges coached Riverdale from 2008-10 before resigning when her husband, former MTSU assistant Tom Hodges, got a coaching job at Morehead State.

“I am humbled and honored to be given the opportunity to lead the program at Middle Tennessee Christian School,” Hodges said. “MTCS is truly unique in its approach to academics and athletics, and it is a perfect fit for myself and our family.

"Coach Burkey and his leadership has elevated this program to an elite level, and I look forward to building upon the legacy that he has created."

MTCS athletics director Jason Piercey said the decision was mutual and something that had been discussed since last summer. Burkey, 66, has been coaching for 45 years, including stints at Oak Ridge, Shelbyville and MTSU.

"It's something we had talked about," Piercey said. "Our principal (Robert Sain) talked with (Burkey) during summer camp, and (Burkey) said that at some point he would like to take a step back.

"He knew, with Hillary on board, that it would be a good option for a transition. He still wants to be involved and work with the team."

Burkey echoed those sentiments.

"It's something I had been thinking about on my own," said Burkey, whose squad went 10-15 this season, falling to BGA in the Division II-A District 3 quarterfinals. "In a lot of scenarios, I'm not sure I would have been ready for (the transition), but in this particular scenario, with Hillary here, it was a good situation.

"It will be an honor and privilege to coach with her, and I hope she lets me do it for a few more years. I still love (coaching). I always said it wasn't a job, but a calling. I'm not going anywhere. We're just redefining our roles."

Hodges went 91-10 in three seasons at Riverdale. Before that, she had coaching stints at Siegel, Harpeth Hall and Independence.

"She has a proven track record of excellence, and we believe she will continue to grow and improve our program in the years to come," Sain said. "We are extremely grateful to Coach Burkey for his continued leadership of our girls basketball program. His deep knowledge of basketball, passion for Cougar athletics and strong support of this transition will help ensure the success of the program moving forward."

Burkey was hired at MTCS in June 2012 after having spent the previous two seasons as an assistant on the MTSU women's program under Rick Insell. He went 121-77 in seven seasons, including 20-plus wins for three consecutive seasons from 2013-16.

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

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