Madewell takes the reins: Former player becomes team’s 11th head coach
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Chris Madewell, a former Pioneer player who has spent the last two seasons as a member of the WCHS coaching staff, was introduced as the team’s new head coach in a Tuesday morning press conference.
“I’m excited about this opportunity to make this program better,” Madewell said. “I’ve been around it many years, and I’ve wanted the chance to do this.
“Many times, I’ve thought about what I would do, and I’m excited about having the opportunity to do what I’ve wanted to try, because I believe we can be successful in Warren County again.”
WCHS principal James Bennett, who introduced Madewell Tuesday, was a member of the search committee that ultimately made the decision to hire the new Pioneer coach. Other committee members included athletic director Andy Jacobs, school system director of personnel Roy Pierce, school board member Edd Cantrell, Bobby Newby, Danny Martin and Dennis Ringgenberg.
Bennett described the process the committee used to make its decision, and noted Madewell continually came to mind when narrowing down the list of prospects.
“We looked at the applicants and went through the process of selecting a priority list, then recalling certain candidates for interviews,” he said. “Through all that process, the committee came to the conclusion (Monday) that our new coach will be Chris Madewell.”
Madewell’s goals for the program, as well as his familiarity with the community and its athletes, were two deciding factors in his hiring, Bennett went on to say.
“Chris came in with a plan,” he noted. “When he interviewed with us, his organization with the things he wanted to do was very impressive to us.
“We also thought about hometown pride. Here’s a young man who played here, who went on to college ball after he played here, and has a very good knowledge of the game. He’s like a lot of ‘old’ Warren County football fans, in that he wants to bring pride back to our program.
“But we were so impressed with the plan he brought to us, and his energy, that was a big part of his being selected.”
A standout member of the Pioneers from 1989-1992, Madewell went on to play college ball at Tennessee Tech, and entered the coaching ranks as an assistant at DeKalb County High School in 1996.
After a one-year stay with the Tigers, he moved on to become an assistant with the Warren County Middle School program, taking over as that team’s head coach after two seasons.
While with the middle school Pioneers, Madewell led the program to what at the time was its most successful season, a 7-3 campaign that culminated in bowl win.
Joining the WCHS staff under Gerald Tidwell in 2002, Madewell got a quick taste of the pressures of being head coach, when he served as acting coach during Tidwell’s suspension. During the past season, he served as one of the Pioneers assistants, as well as the head coach of the freshman squad.
Madewell said his familiarity with the county’s athletes should be one of his biggest strengths as the Pioneers’ new head coach.
“I’ve coached these young men who are at the high school right now, since they were in the sixth and seventh grade,” he said. “I know what their potential is, and I know the potential type of team we can have at Warren County with those players.
“I feel like this is a good time to take over. This is a good opportunity for us to be successful, with the young men we have coming up from the middle school, as well as the young men we already have at the high school.”
Madewell becomes the 11th head coach since the consolidation of the county’s high schools in 1969.