Meet the new athletic director for Williamson County Schools

Starting this summer, Darrin Joines will trade in the hardwood and his marketing classroom to become the Williamson County Schools athletic director. 

For the past three years, Joines coached the Franklin High School boys basketball team to regional championships and state tournament appearances. He will take the role from Jeremy Qualls, who will transition to another position in the district. 

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Joines –– who previously coached at Beech High School for two decades –– said he looked forward to taking the helm over the district's athletics, but wanted to take the first year to observe before making any changes. 

"I think anyone who comes into a new position — one that is going really well — you just want to check it out for a period of time," Joines said. "To me, I have to keep going what we have going, but maybe make some tweaks if that’s even possible. Year two, I might have my twist to it." 

'Kids and athletes first'

Joines said his job was all about making relationships, whether with his marketing students in desks or his players on the court. 

He said he found his new position more marketing oriented, where he will empower and push forward the narrative of athletes and their teams during the upcoming seasons. Qualls started that effort as director, between the annual red carpet banquet and the pre-show broadcasts before sporting events. 

Joines said that is a newer tradition he would like to continue. 

"Kids and athletes first," he said. "That’s the way we should do it anyways. Now one of the things I am going to try to do is I want to be a champion for coaches. Coaches go through a lot, and if I do that, they will take care of the athletes. The promotion of the events and the athletes is already unbelievable."

Coaches conference

This summer, Joines said he wanted to continue the annual in-service day for coaches' training. 

At the yearly meeting in June, members discussed a state record of 618 athletes ejected from high school contests during the 2018-19 school year. According to the report released at the meeting, that's up from 503 athlete ejections a year ago, an increase of 22.9%.

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Joines said he wasn't sure what those numbers looked like in Williamson County, but said issues about sportsmanship and liability will become part of the discussion. He said instances of handling players in and out of school would also become part of the conversation. 

The district has suffered the loss of players in the last few years to car wrecks and most recently to alcohol poisoning with the death of Brentwood High School player Lucas Davis.  

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"It's the power of the coach," Joines said. "The coach is a big influencer. I don't think it comes from the catbird seat. I have been a teenager before, too. When you have time with them in the classroom every day then outside of it, too, you have the power to be there for kids."  

Reach Emily West at erwest@tennessean.com or 615-613-1380 and on Twitter at @emwest22.