Downs resigns as ACHS baseball coach
Ben Downs gives Andy Fox some advice before an at bat during game action earlier this season.
Downs is leaving for an administrative position in Alcoa. He had also been an assistant principal at ACHS.
“I have been very blessed over the last 10 years to be part of such a great high school. I want to thank Greg Deal for hiring me as head baseball coach in ‘07-‘08 and Andrea Russell for giving me a shot as an administrator since 2011,” Downs said in an online statement.
“The friends I’ve gained through this experience can never be replaced,” he continued.
Coming to ACHS from Sweetwater after three years of leading the baseball program at his alma mater, Sweetwater High School, Downs is a 2003 graduate of Tennessee Tech, where he was a right-handed pitcher on the baseball team.
“He has been a great coach, mentor, and friend. We are going to miss him and his family,” said ACHS Athletic Director Gary Terry.
Downs became head coach in 2008 following the resignation of Jeff Browning, who left in December, 2007, for a job at South Doyle before ever taking the diamond with the Mavericks.
During his tenure at the helm of the program, Downs won one district championship, one region championship, one sectional championship, one trip to the state tournament, and was district runner-up three times.
He also coached 26 All-District players, four All-State players (Jordan Rorex, Alex Farmer, Brycen Roberts, and Hunter Tackett, who
Anderson County High School is looking for a new head baseball coach following the resignation of Ben Downs last week.
Downs is leaving for an administrative position in Alcoa. He had also been an assistant principal at ACHS.
“I have been very blessed over the last 10 years to be part of such a great high school. I want to thank Greg Deal for hiring me as head baseball coach in ‘07-‘08 and Andrea Russell for giving me a shot as an administrator since 2011,” Downs said in an online statement.
“The friends I’ve gained through this experience can never be replaced,” he continued.
Coming to ACHS from Sweetwater after three years of leading the baseball program at his alma mater, Sweetwater High School, Downs is a 2003 graduate of Tennessee Tech, where he was a right-handed pitcher on the baseball team.
“He has been a great coach, mentor, and friend. We are going to miss him and his family,” said ACHS Athletic Director Gary Terry.
Downs became head coach in 2008 following the resignation of Jeff Browning, who left in December, 2007, for a job at South Doyle before ever taking the diamond with the Mavericks.
During his tenure at the helm of the program, Downs won one district championship, one region championship, one sectional championship, one trip to the state tournament, and was district runner-up three times.
He also coached 26 All-District players, four All-State players (Jordan Rorex, Alex Farmer, Brycen Roberts, and Hunter Tackett, who was selected twice), three District MVPs (Alex Farmer, Brycen Roberts, and Hunter Tackett) and had two players where selected in the Major League Baseball amateur draft — Michael White (2008, 33rd round) and Hunter Tackett (2014, 36th Round). Former Maverick standout pitcher Taylor Durand signed as a free agent with the Toronto Blue Jays organization in 2016.
Downs had 19 players sign college scholarships during his tenure at ACHS.
“Thank you to all of the AC fans and my booster club members who have helped me with the AC baseball program over these 10 years. Thank you to all of my players and coaches I’ve been blessed to work with over the years. I love you all very much and I hope you never forget it,” Downs said.
But he is not stepping away from coaching entirely. He will coach his son Cooper’s T-ball team.
The search for the next head coach will start soon, Terry said.
“We will begin taking applications shortly for our new baseball coach and look forward to opening a new chapter in Anderson County Baseball. We will find the right guy and he will have our baseball team ready for spring,” he said.