The A.F. Bridges Awards program was expanded twelve years ago to include awards for School System Administrator of the Year, Principal of the Year, Athletic Director of the Year, Female Coach of the Year, Male Coach of the Year, Official of the Year, and Contributor of the Year. The awards recognize again this year 63 individuals from across our state that represent what’s best in high school athletics. Recognition was made in the above mentioned categories in each of the nine athletic districts in our state.
Nominations were made by a Citizenship/Sportsmanship Committee in each athletic district and the final selection was made by a State Selection Committee.
Bernard Childress, Executive Director of the TSSAA stated, “Being recognized for one of these awards as a school or individual should be seen as one of the highest honors in high school athletics in our state. Those who receive the awards truly reflect what high school athletics should be about, and that’s good sportsmanship and good citizenship.”
***Information concerning the A.F. Bridges Divisional Finalists follows the listing of the Athletic District Award winners.
All of these awards will be presented at the three Regional Meetings held at the following dates and sites (members of the media are welcome to attend):
Monday, November 7 – Knoxville Central High School, 1 p.m. ET
Wednesday, November 9 – University School of Jackson, 1 p.m. CT
Thursday, November 10 – Franklin Road Academy, 1 p.m. CT
ATHLETIC DISTRICT 1
School System Administrator of the Year
Morris Woodring, Johnson County Schools
Principal of the Year
Greg Clark, Seymour High School
Athletic Director of the Year
Jim Lethco, Pigeon Forge High School
Female Coach of the Year
Robin Vannoy, Morristown-Hamblen HS East
Male Coach of the Year
Brad Flatford, Cosby High School
Official of the Year
Craig Price, Morristown
Contributor of the Year
Doug Buckles, Unaka
ATHLETIC DISTRICT 2
School System Administrator of the Year
Henry Baggett, Oneida City Schools
Principal of the Year
Sallee Reynolds, Hardin Valley Academy
Athletic Director of the Year
Ronald Ladd, Kingston High School
Female Coach of the Year
Jayme Smith, Anderson County High School
Male Coach of the Year
Clark Wormsley, Webb School of Knoxville
Official of the Year
Pete Stafford, Knoxville
Contributor of the Year
Tennessee Orthopaedic Clinics
ATHLETIC DISTRICT 3
School System Administrator of the Year
Johnny McDaniel, Bradley County Schools
Principal of the Year
Shawn Brower, Chattanooga Christian School
Athletic Director of the Year
C.R. "Bubba" Simmons, McCallie School
Female Coach of the Year
Elaine Peigen, Ooltewah High School
Male Coach of the Year
Steve Henry, Soddy-Daisy High School
Official of the Year
Marsha Goodwin, Cleveland
Contributor of the Year
Ward Gossett, Times Free Press Chattanooga
ATHLETIC DISTRICT 4
School System Administrator of the Year
Mike Davis, Wilson County Schools
Principal of the Year
James Bennett, Warren County High School
Athletic Director of the Year
Dale Alsup, Coffee County High School
Female Coach of the Year
Holly White, Riverdale High School
Male Coach of the Year
Mark Purvis, Mt. Juliet High School
Official of the Year
Fred McCollum, Gallatin
Contributor of the Year
Wilson Bank & Trust
ATHLETIC DISTRICT 5
School System Administrator of the Year
Ricky Perry, Goodpasture Christian School
Principal of the Year
Nate Morrow, Christ Presbyterian Academy
Athletic Director of the Year
Jeff Brothers, Nashville Christian School
Female Coach of the Year
Brandy Gagliano, Christ Presbyterian Academy
Male Coach of the Year
Jim Fey, East Literature Magnet School
Official of the Year
Ray Johnson, Jr., Adams
Contributor of the Year
Rudy Kalis, WSMV Nashville
ATHLETIC DISTRICT 6
School System Administrator of the Year
Benny Pace, Lewis County Schools
Principal of the Year
Allen Trull, Lewis County High School
Athletic Director of the Year
Jay Powlas, Dickson County High School
Female Coach of the Year
Kim Brenner, Zion Christian Academy
Male Coach of the Year
Vance Belew, Columbia Central High School
Official of the Year
Trey Miles, Madison
Contributor of the Year
Kyle Johnson, Loretto
ATHLETIC DISTRICT 7
School System Administrator of the Year
Steve Wilkinson, Henderson County BOE
Principal of the Year
Brian Norton, Scotts Hill High School
Athletic Director of the Year
Ricky Coffman, Adamsville High School
Female Coach of the Year
Molly Ashley, West Carroll High School
Male Coach of the Year
Jarrett Jones, Liberty Technology Magnet HS
Official of the Year
Nick Owens, Arlington
Contributor of the Year
Carroll Bank & Trust, Huntingdon
ATHLETIC DISTRICT 8
School System Administrator of the Year
Dan Black, Bradford Special School District
Principal of the Year
Chuck West, Dresden High School
Athletic Director of the Year
Jeromy Davidson, Westview High School
Female Coach of the Year
Dawn Barger, Lake County High School
Male Coach of the Year
Shane Sisco, Union City High School
Official of the Year
Skip Jones, Jackson
Contributor of the Year
Greg Usery, Greenfield
ATHLETIC DISTRICT 9
School System Administrator of the Year
India Weaver, MIAA
Principal of the Year
Greg McCullough, Memphis Central High School
Athletic Director of the Year
Tim Smith, Houston High School
Female Coach of the Year
Niki Bray, Memphis Central High School
Male Coach of the Year
David Taylor, Craigmont High School
Official of the Year
George White, Jr., Memphis
Contributor of the Year
Mark Healy, Millington
A.F. Bridges Divisional Awards and State Award of Excellence
The A.F. Bridges Divisional Awards are given to schools that have had no reported unsportsmanlike conduct incidents during the previous school year and have displayed an overall positive effort to teach, expect, and demand a positive atmosphere of sportsmanship at their particular contests.
The schools that received this prestigious award were nominated by local officials associations, other member schools, and the Tennessee Observers Program for Sports (TOPS).
Of the 27 divisional recipients, one school in each class will receive Tennessee’s top award for overall outstanding effort in its division. One of the three schools in each classification will be presented the A.F. Bridges State Award of Excellence shortly after the divisional awards are handed out. This is the highest award that can be bestowed upon a school to honor its overall efforts to promote citizenship and sportsmanship at school, and at athletic contests.
The A.F. Bridges Award is given in honor of the TSSAA’s first executive secretary. He served as executive secretary from 1946 until his retirement in 1972. Under his leadership, athletics in the state of Tennessee reached a level of excellence and competence that earned the respect of all people. Mr. Bridges was a person of high principles who displayed firmness and fairness, as well as the high ideals of ethics and integrity, as he and many other school people established the foundation of TSSAA across our state.
