Morgan moves to WCHS; Tidwell in at Morrison
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Brian Morgan has left his position at Morrison Elementary and joined the athletic staff at Warren County High School, where he?ll work with both the football and basketball programs.
Taking Morgan?s place at Morrison will be Gerald Tidwell, who spent the last two years on the Grundy County High football staff after coaching the Pioneer football team in 2003.
?I wanted to get back into football,? said Morgan, who played during his days at Coffee County High. ?I missed it, and this opening was a good opportunity for me.?
Morgan ? who had been at Morrison for six years, and coached all four of the Eagles? and Lady Eagles? basketball teams last season ? will work with new freshman football head coach Andy Evans during the fall, then he?ll switch back into basketball mode as an assistant on Ryan Smith?s staff when basketball begins.
For Tidwell, who moved to McMinnville in 2003 to take over the high school football program, the opening created by Morgan?s move to WCHS gave him a chance to work closer to home.
?I never thought I?d have the opportunity to come back here,? said Tidwell, who resigned his post with the Pioneers after one season. ?But when this job came open, I got to thinking about the five hours driving per week I?d be saving, and the chance to get tenure here, and with my wife teaching at Morrison and both our boys going to school there, it?s just a really good fit.?
Tidwell, who will teach physical education as well as work with Morrison?s boys teams, first entered the coaching ranks in Illinois as a head football coach, and also served as an assistant on his school?s basketball staff. So while he admits he has more experience on the gridiron than on the hardwood, he has done his share of basketball coaching. He?ll be assisted by former WCHS guard Erica Mathis, and said he also has a family tie to fall back on if he needs more hoops advice.
?My brother is a head basketball coach in Illinois,? he said, ?so I?ll probably be picking his brain quite a bit.?
Open gym at Morrison began last week, allowing Tidwell the opportunity to meet with several of his potential players.
?There?s a big group coming out to the gym, and from what I?ve seen so far it looks pretty bright out there,? he said. ?I?m really looking forward to it, and excited about the opportunity.?