By Corbin Shaw

Tennessee Wesleyan is pleased to welcome new head basketball coach Randy Casey! Casey is taking over Coach Ray Stone’s head men’s basketball coaching position in the upcoming season. Casey coached high school for many years and then moved to coach college level at the University of Pikeville then went back to the high school level to watch young boys chase their dreams to play college ball. The past three seasons Casey has been head basketball coach for the boys’ team at McMinn County High School.

Tennessee Wesleyan Athletic Director Donny Mayfield states, “During our search, Coach Casey was a candidate that impressed us with his commitment to building a championship-caliber team while maintaining the character and academic standards that have been established in our athletic department.”

Tennessee Wesleyan has a great foundation to build on, and there are high hopes for Randy Casey this upcoming season.

Casey is a big believer in teamwork and hopes to find a way for the players to work well together. Casey makes a point to say, “Every player is unique and skilled, but being able to combine those skills is what makes a great team”.

Casey not only wants a great ball team, but also wants to help his players develop lifelong skills and make them better people overall. Casey is a big believer in teamwork and hopes to find a way for the players to work well together. Casey makes a point to say that every player is unique and skilled, but being able to combine those skills is what makes a great team. Casey not only wants a great ball team, but also wants to help his players develop lifelong skills and make them better people overall.

Casey believes that how you act on the court and off the court makes you a better person, “I feel like if we develop the whole person, not just a basketball player, then everything is successful. All that stuff that you do in a classroom, that carries over to how you are on the court, and stuff you do in the dorm that carries over how you are how you play, and how your things do on the court how you treat people in a cafeteria that carries over. All those things are important and we’re goanna emphasize it. And you guys, the first day I met with you, I really attested to this, that that’s one of the main things I was talking about is we’re going to treat people right and make sure that we help people that have nothing to give us in return so we that makes us better people,” stated Casey.

“He’s going to share knowledge with you, he’s going to show you the way. He’s going to do everything it takes to be a head coach, and then when you become one, you learn how to treat them, let them work, give them your assistance, and let them grow. You know I’m not a micromanager- I’ll give them my assistance; they’re going to have requirements so they must do it in practice every day. I expect them to get it done but I’m not going to stand right over with my hand on the neck and make sure that because I trust them. And we were going to allow everybody to grow. The main thing is this: listen; a young coach? Listen. Listen twice as much, God gave you two ears and one mouth so you listen twice as much as you talk listen, everything somebody has to say you may not.” Casey makes a point to establish his stance on learning something new every day.

“I’m blessed to have the opportunity to lead the TWU men’s basketball program moving forward. We are going to continue to build on the foundation laid by Coach Ray Stone, and we will not stop until we bring a National Championship back to Athens” expressed Casey. “I can’t wait to get started! We are going to set a standard of where our team will not be outworked, will be tougher, and we will produce a brand of winning basketball that our campus and our community can be very proud of,” added Casey. “You know it’s been proven that it could happen from here. Baseball has done it, you know a couple times, so it can happen from Athens, Tennessee. That’s our goal.”

The Bulldogs men’s basketball team will kick off their season in October. This will start the new era of Tennessee Wesleyan basketball with Coach Randy Casey.

Edited by Noah Lones
Photo by Matti Bray
Interview by Willie Foreman and Dan Thornton
Audio by Elijah Lovelady
Audio Editing by Jackson Lollis