ORHS Wildcats have a new football coach in place

Derek Rang takes over reins of program

February 1, 2023 by Ken Lay

After a lengthy search, Oak Ridge High School has its new head football coach.

Former head coach and current athletic director Joe Gaddis announced that the school has hired Derek Rang.

Rang, a graduate of Maryville High School, returns to East Tennessee after spending the 2022 season at Lewis County, where he guided the Panthers to an 11-2 record and an appearance in the Class 2A quarterfinals.

He previously coached at Powell and Gatlinburg-Pittman.

Rang won a Class 1A state championship at Dresden in 2016. He went 32-8 as Dresden’s head coach.

Rang replaces Scott Cummings, who coached the Wildcats in 2022, leading the team to a 7-6 record, a second-place finish in Region 3-5A, and an appearance in the Class 5A quarterfinals.

While at Maryville, Rang played for the legendary George Quarles (now at East Tennessee State). He coached at Powell in 2012 when the Panthers went 12-2. He later coached as an assistant at Carson-Newman University in Jefferson City.