By Mike Hutchens, UC Schools Communications Director
Union City, Tenn.–Union City High School is turning to one of its own to fill its girls’ basketball coaching vacancy.
Antawn Coby, a 2005 graduate of UCHS and an assistant in the boys’ program for the last six years, has been named as the new Lady Tornado head coach by Principal Jacob Cross.
Coby replaces Chuck Reedy, who resigned late last week after just two seasons at the helm.
Cross moved quickly to fill the position, meeting with three in-house coaches.
He said Coby was the best of a handful of options already on staff in the Union City School System.
“We were blessed to have multiple quality in-house candidates for this position,” Cross said. “Ultimately, we felt that Coach Coby was the best option for the program at this time. He is a tremendous skills/fundamentals coach and has an infectious enthusiasm for the game.
“Coach Coby also understands how to get the best out of players and will put them in a position to succeed. He has been integral to the recent success of our boys’ program, and the skills and experience he brings are a great complement to our outstanding assistant coaches.”
Cross said he anticipates assistants Paige McMillan, Mason Storey and Nelson Youngblood to remain on staff.
The new Lady Tornado skipper, who was inducted to the UCHS Hall of Honors in 2010 and still holds the Twisters’ single game scoring record after netting 47 against Westview in his senior season, is set to meet with his squad today.
“I’m excited for the opportunity and I’m coming in to build on what’s been established here recently and take the program to the next level,” Coby said this morning. “There are certainly some expectations, but my goal is to get the program to the same pedestal that the boys’ program is on as far as success.
The 32-year-old Coby played two seasons at Jackson State Community College and then two more at Lambuth University after his Purple and Gold playing days. He coached the UC Middle School boys’ program for three years before coming over to the high school ranks.
He insisted there would be no learning curve in switching from the boys’ game to the girls.
“The game is the game. I will teach the girls the same way as I have the boys,” Coby said. “I want us to be fierce. I want us to be competitors at all times. And I want us to be winners.”
The Lady Tornadoes will return three starters and four of their top six players from last year’s 21-win team that made it to the regional semifinals for the 2020-21 campaign.