> SEYMOUR — Just weeks after losing boys basketball head coach Kevin Windle to Lenoir City, the Seymour Eagles have a new man at the helm who brings a very strong coaching resume. Athletic Director Gary Householder announced Thursday that Brian Jessie, who just completed his sixth season as the Union head coach, will fill the top spot at Seymour.
“We are very excited to have Brian on our coaching staff,” Householder said.
Jessie led the Patriots to a 27-7 record last year, winning both District 2-AA and the region tournament before falling in the sectionals to Carter.
“We’re really excited about (the move to Seymour),” Jessie said from his home in Maynardville Thursday afternoon.
“I’ve always heard wonderful things about the Seymour community and I thought it was a nice opportunity,” he said. “The school system there is really strong there.”
Jessie will bring along his wife Phyllis and his daughter Leslie, who will enroll in fourth grade at Boyd’s Creek Elementary. Jessie’s oldest daughter, Sarah, will be a freshman at Carson-Newman after graduating from Union County High earlier this month.
“I’ve always known about Seymour, I grew up in Claiborne County and we always played them in basketball and football, and we always scrimmaged them when Randy Moore was there,” Jessie said.
“We’re really looking forward to it,” Jessie said.
Jessie makes the third coach for Seymour in less than a year.
Last August longtime head coach Randy Moore stepped down from his spot as boys and girls coach to accept the boys’ position at Knoxville Halls.
Windle, a Lenoir City assistant, was hired just weeks later.
He returned there earlier this month, replacing Shane Wells, who he coached under with the Panthers in the 2007-08 season.
Jessie had coached the Union County Patriots to four-straight winning seasons, including back-to-back winning campaigns.
Jessie will take over a Seymour team that is graduating six seniors and went winless in District 3-AA last season.
The team does return regular starters Skyler Brown, Garrett Hillard and Logan Jenkins, however.
Two area coaches, Gatlinburg-Pittman’s Raul Placeres and Pigeon Forge’s Jonathan Shultz, applauded Seymour’s hire.
“I think he’s a stand up guy and a good family guy and that’s good for coaching,” Placeres, whose Highlanders have battled Union in District 2-AA the past two seasons, said.
“He’s turned around a program (at Union). For the past two years we’ve gone at it. I think he’s a great hire for Seymour. I think he’ll be there for a while, he’s not the kind of guy that will jump around.”
Shutlz had similar compliments.
“I think he’s a good coach, he really got Union County playing well,” Shultz said. “He got those kids to buying in to playing tough defense and that got them the district championship and the region.
“He’s a good coach, he’s a good person and I always liked to coach against him.”
The new coach said he expects to meet with girls coach Andy Rines, players and administrators on Friday.

mpsports@themountainpress.com