Smyrna girls basketball coach Jordyn Hartsfield steps down to take assistant position at Blackman

After one year as the Smyrna girls basketball coach, Jordyn Hartsfield is stepping down for her "dream" job.

That job is to be an assistant coach with her sister-in-law, Wendi Scott, at Blackman.

"It happened so quick," Hartsfield said. "It's always something I've dreamed of doing (coaching with Scott). She coached me in high school and helped mold me into the person and coach I am today."

The Blackman opportunity became official when former Lady Blaze assistant Shelby Campbell was named the new head coach at Oakland on Tuesday

Hartsfield is married to Blackman football coach Kit Hartsfield. His sister, Scott, was coach at Lawrence County all four years Jordyn played there (2006-10).

Now Smyrna will be seeking its third girls basketball coach in three seasons. Jordyn Hartsfield accepted the position in April after longtime area coach Bud Brandon stepped down after the 2017-18 season.

"Obviously Jordyn's entire family is at Blackman, so the opportunity to join her husband there and have her whole family there is something that is hard for her not to do," Smyrna principal Sherri Southerland said.

"At this time, we’re thankful for the transition she did for us. We’ll be looking for somebody that can take a very immature and young program and lay some building blocks for us to get to where we were in girls basketball."

Hartsfield spent two years as an assistant under Brandon before taking over the position, her first as a head coach.

"I'm excited and grateful for the opportunity," said Hartsfield, who played at MTSU and Belmont after graduating from Lawrence County. "I'm anxious to get going."

Hartsfield said she has no immediate plans to pursue any other head coaching positions. She and Kit have a 2-year-old daughter.

"Right now, to be honest, with my life the way it is right now, I'm excited to just live in the moment and be an assistant for Wendi, and I don’t have any intentions of being a head coach anywhere else right now," she said. "This is an opportunity I’ve always wanted. It’s happening and almost like a dream.

"Taking a step back and just being there for my daughter and supporting Kit and just helping Wendi, that will be good for me in my life."

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