Waugh new CMS athletic director
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Waugh, a longtime boys and girls basketball coach at Powell Middle School, took a job as an assistant principal at Clinton Middle School, and has also been named athletic director.
Sports have always been a big part of Waugh’s life, he said.
He coached both basketball teams at Powell. He also coached track at Powell Middle, where he taught special education from 2012-23. He was named Teacher of the Year in 2018.
“I’ve been a coach for 25 years and I missed it last year,” he said. “I left Powell to become an assistant principal at Clinton. We’re going to hit the ground running.”
Waugh kicked preparations into high gear Monday and said he has big plans for the Hawks’ athletic program.
“We’re going to get to work,” he said. “We have acclimation for football and I’m really looking forward to getting to work.
“I want to help my coaches in any way I can, and we want our athletes to have the best experience they can.
“We want our athletes to get better and move on to the next level,” he said. “We also want them to succeed in the classroom.”
Waugh compiled a 115-46 record as a basketball coach and guided Powell’s teams to a pair of sectional tournament appearances.
He also coached a state track and field champion with the Panthers in the mile run. He also mentored an 800-meter state runner-up.
He was an assistant football coach at Karns High and Powell High. He also served as an assistant coach at Knox Central High School, where he was appointed interim head coach.
In Knox County, the school system only sanctions cheerleading, boys and girls basketball, and boys and girls track and field in middle school.
Waugh now takes over a Clinton Middle School program that includes cheerleading.
The CMS athletic department more resembles a high school program than the programs in Knox County Schools.
Waugh is eagerly anticipating leading a large middle school athletic program.
“That’s the thing that I’m really looking forward to,” he said. “At Clinton, we have 12 sports, including cheerleading. In Knox County they only sanctioned (cheerleading), basketball and
track.
“I look forward to working with all of our coaches. Coach (Bobby) Williams led our boys to the region tournament last year and we have a new girls basketball coach.”
Jason Love will coach the Lady Hawks this season.
Waugh earned his undergraduate degree at Tennessee Tech (where he was a student football manager). He also has an advanced degree in educational leadership from Lincoln Memorial University.
Waugh and his wife, Tiffany, have two children, Corbin and Sam.