| By MIKE HUTCHENS
Messenger Sports Editor
Barely a couple of months after being hired as an assistant football coach at Union City High School, Wade Maddox has already been given another job in Tornado athletics.
Maddox has been named the head softball coach at UCHS, replacing Shane Sisco, whose newly-appointed duties as assistant principal at the Union City Middle School forced him to give up the Lady Tornado softball position.
Sisco will still coach the boys’ high school basketball team.
The 28-year-old Maddox, hired earlier in the spring to be a defensive assistant for Darren Bowling in the Union City football program after serving in a similar role at West Carroll for three years, will be assisted by Jason Qualls, who was Sisco’s top aide.
UC Athletic Director Wes Kennedy said Maddox, who also was the head baseball coach at West Carroll, was a good fit for the Twister softball program.
“He’s young and he’s energetic and he’s ready to go to work in our school system and our athletic programs,” Kennedy claimed.
“I had the opportunity to go and observe him this spring when he was coaching baseball at West Carroll, and I think he’ll bring some things to our softball team that will help our girls. And I know he’s excited for the chance and to meet with the girls and get to work this summer.”
Union City loses just one senior off this year’s club that went 21-16 and made the regional semifinals for the fourth time in Sisco’s five-season tenure with four district tournament runnerup finishes to perennial rural West Tennessee power South Fulton during that span.
“I really see some bright things possible for the program for the next several years,” said Maddox, an assistant coach with the WC baseball program for three seasons before serving the last two years as head coach.
“In fact, I think the entire women’s sports program across the board has great promise in the foreseeable future with both the basketball and softball programs.
“I knew there was a possibility of some type of spring sports coaching position being part of the equation when I was hired here. And I’m excited to have the opportunity with the softball job.”
Sisco, the winningest coach in program’s 19-season history (99-81), insisted the sport is on solid ground with the aforementioned number of players who’ll return next year with experience.
“The program is in good shape, not only with what’s returning next year, but with what type of kids those girls are,” said the UC School System’s newest administrator who recorded three of the program’s four 20-win seasons during his time in charge.
“The group this year was, by far, the best I had in my five years as far as being coachable and their parents being supportive. I think we’re to a spot now where the program is capable of being competitive year-in and year-out.”
Maddox said he’ll likely meet with the team next week, set up tryouts for the 2013 roster and plan for a summer schedule that he claims will include several practices and games in June.
Sports editor Mike Hutchens can be contacted by email at mhutch@ucmessenger.com. Published in The Messenger 5.16.12 |
