Wallace named Lady Senators’ hoops head coach
DEREK WALLACE
Wallace recently resigned as the boys and girls cross country coach at Anderson County High School after building the Mavericks and Lady Mavericks into state contenders.
He will continue to teach history at ACHS and he’ll continue at the middle school level, as he has been named girls basketball coach at Norris Middle School.
“Actually it was harder than I thought it was going to be,” Wallace said. “I know both the boys and girls are going to be good. But I know the program will be in good hands.”
ACHS has yet to officially name Wallace’s replacement, but track coaches Mary Kate Longmire and Harrison Calhoun are handling the coaching duties on the interim basis.
“I felt like it was time to let Mary Kate and Harrison handle all the running,” Wallace said. “I don’t have that ego that I can’t step down.”
This isn’t the first time the coach has left a program before what he knew would be a successful run. A longtime boys basketball coach for the Mavericks, Wallace left that program after the 2021-22 season.
“I left the basketball program knowing that they would be pretty good,” Wallace said.
Wallace’s prediction for ACHS’s success on the hardwood has turned out to be correct.
Since Jordan Jeffers has taken the reins for the Mavericks, the team has won a pair of back-to-back District 4-AAA tournament championships.
Leaving the coaching ranks at ACHS was a family decision.
“When my daughter decided to take basketball seriously, I was coaching AAU at a pretty high level,” Wallace said.
He’ll eventually coach his daughter with the Lady Senators, and he’ll also coach the cross country teams at Norris, although that has yet to be announced.
He’ll replace Calhoun as the school’s cross country coach.
“With Harrison taking more of a role at the high school, I’m going to coach cross country,” Wallace said.
“It hasn’t been announced yet, but I feel comfortable saying that.
“(Principal Rob) Cummings offered me the job and I accepted it.
“Now I can coach cross country and then go across campus and coach girls basketball.”