Richie Wilhite believes he would have been
invited to stay for his fourth season as a member of the William
Blount High School football team's coaching staff.
The chance to pursue other options during the offseason was just
too tempting.
Wilhite, who served as WB's interim coach last season, confirmed
Tuesday that he has reached an agreement to become the new
defensive coordinator at District 4-AAA rival Lenoir City.
Governors coach Scott Meadows announced in November his official
return from a nearly seven-month leave of absence to take back
the reins from Wilhite, who led William Blount to a 1-9 record
last year.
That marked the start of what Wilhite described as "some staff
issues" that prompted him to put his name in the mix for the
opening with the Panthers.
Wilhite, who will remain as WB's baseball coach and a full-time
teacher at the school, cited the opportunity to work closer to
his home in Lenoir City as a reason for leaving.
It clearly wasn't the only one, though.
"There were some other influences as far as the (coaching)
changeover. I'll say it wasn't necessarily as smooth as you
might like. I'll say that to be nice about it," said Wilhite,
the Region 2-5A defensive coordinator of the year in 2006 and
2007 at William Blount under Meadows.
"It was time to move on and take my career and see what other
things I could try to accomplish."
Multiple attempts to contact Meadows for comment Tuesday night
were unsuccessful.
"Scott and I had talked on several different occasions once he
announced he was coming back, and there were some staff issues,"
Wilhite said. "It was probably in my best interest, for me and
my career, if I would find a new challenge."
Wilhite, previously an assistant under Meadows at Jefferson
County, wasted no time finding one at Lenoir City, where he will
get to play against the Govs every year in the newly aligned
District 4-AAA.
"They actually had a need," Wilhite said of the Panthers, who
went 1-9 last season under first-year coach Mike Zeller. "They
were looking for a defensive coordinator, and that's what I had
done in the past before my interim coaching job.
"It looks like a really good situation."
Wilhite's stay at William Blount -- on the football field,
anyway -- might not have ended the way he had hoped, but it
wasn't all bad.
"It was a great experience on a lot of levels. It kind of taught
me a little more about how to handle myself and try to handle
other people that are under me or that I'm in contact with,"
Wilhite said of his season as interim coach.
"I definitely want the opportunity, if I get the chance, to be a
head coach again. But if not, I would have no problem continuing
to work for someone else."