The DeKalb County Tigers have a new basketball coach as John Sanders from Smith County was announced as the new boys coach Friday morning.

“I think we got a good quality basketball coach but even more importantly I think we’ve got a quality man to lead our student athletes,” said DCHS Principal Randy Jennings moments after Sanders was introduced to the players he will lead into the coming season. “We had about 40 applicants and Coach Sanders’ name just kept coming back to the top. He is just a great character guy.”

Jennings noted that during his time in Smith County, Sanders was not only a successful coach on the hardwood, but he also had his players helping in the community.

“He was a role model to those young men,” the principal said.

Originally from Smith County, he began his basketball career as a manager for Tennessee Tech where he got his bachelor’s degree in 2009 in exercise science and physical education and wellness. He got his master’s degree in 2015 in sports management.

He has served as assistant coach at Gordonsville Junior High and High School, Smith County and Trousdale High Schools and most recently as Murfreesboro Oakland. He has been head coach at Jim Satterfield Middle in Hartsville, Smith County Middle and most recently at Smith County High from 2014-17. He has also spent significant time working at individual basketball camps at Duke University under Coach Mike Kryzewski.

Highlights of his career thus far include leading Smith County Middle to a 34-1 record in 2013-14 and winning the James C. Hailee AA State Tournament and then finishing in the Final Four of the TNT State Tourney in Springfield. In 2015-16 his Smith County squad finished 22-11 and were District 8AA champs and advanced to the semi-finals of the Region 4AA tourney. He was named 8AA District Coach of the year that season. His teams made the region semi-finals two of the three years he was head coach at Smith County.

He will be replacing the second winningest coach in school history in Lynus Martin. The long-time coach stepped down after this past season.
“Coach Martin has done a great job with the program the last 16 years so I know the program would be in great shape,” Coach Sanders said, noting he hopes to be in the top four in the district this year and make it to the region tournament. “We want to get the kids to compete and play hard and enjoy what they’re doing.”

The coach is married to Kristen Oldham Sanders and they reside in Smith County.