As graduation approaches and the school year comes to a close, Clinton County will once again be looking for a new Lady Bulldog head coach.

Coach Carter Adams received word Thursday, May 12, in a letter, that his contract would not be renewed for the upcoming year.

After only one year in the position, Adams will depart and Clinton County will hire its fifth head coach in six years.

Superintendant Mickey McFall said the decision came after extensive evaluation.

“There is a lot of evaluation that takes place from the beginning of the year to the end of a year,” McFall said. “That stems largely from the principal, athletic director and myself and there is a lot we try to look at.”

McFall said evaluations were not just based on what a coach does “on the floor,” but what he/she does in the classroom and in the community as well.

“One thing you have to include in this process is not only are the coaches employed as coaches, but also as classroom teachers,” McFall said. “We have criteria that we set standards in terms of expectations of what we are looking for in both of those roles. As the school year and the season concludes, we have discussions.”

Clinton County is no stranger to hiring new coaches. Since 1998, Gary Abbott was the only coach to stay longer than two seasons in a single stretch.

Abbott was head coach from the 1998-99 season through the 2002-03 campaign.

After Abbott’s tenure as head coach, former long-time coach Ronnie Guffey took the Lady Dawgs for two seasons and led Clinton County to the final game of the Sweet 16 tournament in 2005, before retiring.

After Guffey’s retirement, then assistant coach Jennifer Preston took control and ran the team for two seasons, 2005-06 and 2006-07.

During the 2007-08 season, Sam Gibson was hired to take the position. At the conclusion of the year, it was announced that his position was to be filled.

Prior to this season, Blake Button was head coach of the Lady Dawgs for two seasons, finishing with 26-31 record.

“You want stability in a program. When you see programs that are successful, most often it’s because you have some establishment in the position,” McFall said. “That is a factor, I think you have to consider when you’ve made a decision like this after one year or two years.”

This season, the Lady Dawgs only won four games and were put out during the first round of the district tournament.

“I don’t think I can say there is a main reason,” McFall said. “After considering the season and the year … And I stress, it is really a package deal when you’re a teacher and a coach, and so, you have to look at all the factors in both roles and make a determination on if we’re satisfied with what we’ve seen in terms of progression through the year and whether we feel like we will get to where we want to be.”

In order to hire someone to fill the coaching position, the Clinton County School system will post the position at the office for 30 days. During those 30 days, the office will take applications for the position of head coach.

After the 30 day post period has passed, McFall will look at all applications and suggest certain applications or all applications to the C.C.H.S. Site Based Decision Making Council.

“We want, as quickly as possible, to get applications and hopefully get a long term solution and get them on board,” McFall said.

Once the SBDMC has reviewed the applications, interviews will take place and based on those interviews and the application submitted, the board will make the decision to hire.

“The council and principal will ultimately make the decision on who becomes coach. I think you can see stability in some of our sports programs that we currently have and have had in the past. While it may be difficult to get all those characteristics that we are looking for, you can see evidence in our other programs, where we have stability, that we want someone who is here for the long term. I know that may seem contrary to what we are doing now, but we want a long term solution to build our program to the point where we are pleased with who we have and what they are doing for our girls and for the program. It’s not always an easy task, but what we are doing, we think, is best for the girls who are on the court and in the classroom.”

During the time the job is posted, Adams will be able to apply again for the job if he chooses to do so.

“Coach Adams has the opportunity, as I’ve expressed to him, when we post the positions that he can look at them and see if he wants to pursue them and we will see what our options are as we did this past year and try to make the best decision for the students and the players,” McFall said.

Adams said there is a possibility he will reapply for the position.

“I’m just going to leave it to prayer,” Adams said. “I’m a very steadfast believer and a very, very faithful man and I know it may sound like something everybody says, but I’m honest as I can be … If it is meant to be, then I will be back here. My heart and soul is here and I’m extremely passionate about these kids. I want what is best for them.”

Adams explained he didn’t think another coach was the answer.

“I’m not saying I’m the best there is,” Adams said. “I’m not a bragger or egotistical. I don’t walk around with my chest stuck out, but if you don’t have self-confidence then you are never going to achieve anything. The whole “another coach” aspect just bothers me.”

McFall said when looking for the right person for a particular job, there is a lot of thought that goes into the final decision.

“We have expectations of what we are looking for,” McFall said. “I don’t think we have our expectations too high because there is no difference in what we hope for there and what we hope for in our other sports programs.”

When Adams came to Clinton County last summer, he knew he had his work cut out for him, but yet he remained optimistic. During one of his first interviews as Clinton County’s head coach, Adams was brimming with enthusiasm and the willingness to build a program to the height it was in the early 2000s.

“Coming in to the season, I had high hopes. I know, win/lose wise, it might not have seemed like a success … but, I did think we showed signs of improvement over the year and I was really looking forward to starting the summer with the kids,” Adams said. “Rome wasn’t built in a day. This place was once Rome.”

Even though Adams finished his season with a record of 4-25, he is very shocked at the decision made to not renew his contract.

“Even at this very second I’m kind of shocked that this all happened, but after I was finished talking with Mr. Harlan and Mr. McFall, God kind of slapped me in the face and told me that He had something special in store for me and that’s not to say that “something good” is not right back here.”

He doesn’t think his work is finished here, but he will leave the decision in larger hands.

“I know God has something special in store for me … who knows,” Adams said. “I spoke to Mr. McFall about the possibility of me returning. Whether it be next year or years down the road and he was very open to that fact.”

Adams said he had been really looking forward to building something in Clinton County.

“I really hate it for the kids,” Adams said. “They will have five new systems in six seasons. I was told that I wasn’t the right fit. When I sat down with Mr. McFall, I told him I am praying for him to find somebody who is the right fit … I really thought it was me.”

When Adams first received the news that his contract wasn’t renewed, he said his first thought wasn’t about him losing his job, it was about his players.

“I immediately thought about the kids,” Adams said. “Not only are you going to have your fifth coach in six years, but your summer basketball … your off season basketball is so important and now they are going to be in a bind to where their summer schedule can’t start at the first of June.”

Adams said he planned on sitting down with his players on Monday afternoon and relaying the news that his contract wasn’t renewed.

“I really dread it,” Adams said. “I don’t have to do it just once. I have to go over to the middle school also and talk to my middle school kids. When you spend so much time together with coaches and players, you grow to become family. Day after day, in the gym for practice and ballgames … I really feel for these kids.”

Adams said his first year as head coach was memorable and he doesn’t regret the decision to come to Clinton County.

“I really, really, really enjoyed it,” Adams said. “I drew close to a lot of people in the community … church family … I don’t regret taking this job at all. I will miss a lot of people, but I trust that God has something in store for me, this school system and these girls.”