Randy Smith: Boys Basketball Coaches Mount Rushmore

Randy Smith

The one thing I've noticed in my journey through the "Mount Rushmore" of local athletes and coaches is Chattanooga has been blessed with a lot of great sports figures through the years. Some of them like Bobby Hoppy, Richard Fuqua, Anthony Roberts and others all played or coached before I arrived in town in 1975, so they didn't make my list.  Today, it's the local boys' basketball coaches.

Robert High-Brainerd High School
One of the truly great coaches in any sport in Chattanooga is Brainerd's Robert High. High won 1,001 games while losing only 307 contests. High's teams at Brainerd won 20 or more games in 31 of his 37 seasons as a head coach. His Panthers also won 30 or more games in eight of those seasons. His teams won state championships in Tennessee in 1984, 1988 and in 1992.  He claimed runner up spots in the state tournament on two other occasions. He coached many big time players at Brainerd including Malcolm Mackey, Jay Price, Harris Walker and C.J. Black. His 1999 Girls Cross Country team also won a TSSAA Championship. High also served Brainerd as the school's athletic director for many years.

Henry Bowles-Howard High School
I became good friends with Coach Bowles when I first came to town in 1975. I broadcast many games in the gymnasium that bears his name. In fact Howard has two gyms both named for Henry Bowles. Bowles had an overall record of 616-260 in 29 years coaching basketball. His Hustlin' Tigers claimed two runner-up spots in the state tournament and made 16 total state tournament appearances. His squads won 30 or more games four times and posted 26 winning seasons during his tenure. Perhaps the most impressive part of Henry Bowles' coaching record is the fact that his teams won 62 consecutive district games at one stretch. Bowles also served as Howard's athletic director from 1969-1998.

Austin Clark-Baylor School
Austin Clark came to the Baylor School in 1982 and coached the Red Raiders basketball team for 36 years. He posted a career record of 522-411. His teams claimed 15 state tournament berths and advanced to the final four five times, finishing in second place twice. Clark who played at Tennessee under the legendary Ray Mears as part of the "Ernie and Bernie" show. (Ernie Grunfeld and Bernard King.) His teams were known for their overall toughness and great defense. Clark was named to the Baylor Sports Hall of Fame in 2017 and the court at the Jimmy Duke Arena bears his name. Austin Clark also served as Baylor's athletic director from 1990-2006.

Don Burton-Sale Creek and Soddy-Daisy
Don Burton was coaching in the TSSAA State tournament in 1976 when I first met him. I was broadcasting games from all the Chattanooga area teams that year and his team won the first game they played. They won most of the time when Burton put a team on the floor. At Sale Creek and Soddy-Daisy combined, Burton's teams won 585 games and lost just 320. He was named Coach of the Year five different times in his tenure and coached several different sports in his 36 year career. Burton also coached at Birchwood High and at Whitesburg, Ky.

In the honorable mention category are Baylor's Jimmy Duke, McCallie's Bill Eskridge, Riverside's Leroy Alexander, Whitwell's Tommy Layne and South Pittsburg's Sam Brooks. Next is the Mount Rushmore of girls' basketball players. Everyone please stay at home and stay safe!