Ever since he hung up his green and gray jersey for the last time Matt Weems’ goal has been to be the head boys basketball coach at North Greene High School.
On Friday the school officially announced that Weems had achieved that dream and that he would be taking over the Huskies’ basketball program, replacing Sam Tarlton who resigned in recent weeks.
Weems is a 2012 graduate of North Greene and was the Greene County Boys Basketball Player of the Year in 2011. He has spent the past six years coaching boys basketball at North Greene Middle. He has also been the head coach of the NGMS football team, has assisted the high school football team and spent time on Tarlton’s bench with the high school boys.
“This is a school I played at. My mom and dad both played at North Greene. I’ve grown up in this community and it’s where I’ve always wanted to be,” Weems said. “I was in a really good situation at the middle school, but my aspiration has always been to be the basketball coach at the high school. This is really a blessing. I grew up here, my mom and dad grew up here, my grandparents grew up here and I’ve never wanted to leave. In my high school yearbook it said my goal was to be a high school coach, and there is nowhere I would want to do that more than here. I’m really excited to get started.”
Because he has been at the middle school and involved in the North Greene community for so long Weems is already familiar with the Huskies’ squad and the players also know what to expect from him. He hopes that allows him to hit the ground running even though he taking over late in the summer.
“I’ve been around these boys a lot being their middle school coach. Some of these boys I had in fifth grade and now they are seniors. The most fun I’ve had coaching is being with this group. They know what to expect from me and I know what to expect out of them. I think that can be very valuable going into this season. It’s still going to be new, there will be some adjustments, but I’m excited for it,” Weems said.
The Huskies’ boys basketball program rose to new heights under Tarlton, advancing to the state tournament five times in eight years after making it to state twice in the previous 53 years.
Weems understands the bar has been set high at North Greene, and he is committed to maintaining that standard. He expects his teams to be tough and play hard every single night.
“The expectations are the expectations. Sam is a good friend of mine and what he has done will be extremely hard to duplicate. But those boys know what the standard is, and I don’t want them to expect anything less from me,” Weems said. “They need to come work hard every single day. I want to put my own stamp on the program, but also maintain the culture and success Sam brought to it. I want to be the team that plays the hardest every night. I want teams that are physical and that rebound. I want them to be passionate about the game. I want it to mean something to them to play for North Greene.”
For North Greene athletic director James Buchanan hiring Weems was the right choice because of familiarity with the school, the program, and the players. But wrapping up the coaching search so quickly was also a big relief for the school’s administration.
“Matt did a lot here as a player, and he has become a very good coach. I’m excited to bring him in here and see him get started. I’m glad to be able to bring Matt in, and with him knowing the kids I think gives him a little bit of head start, when most people would have been way behind at this point in the year. Since I’ve been here we’ve made several hires in football and boys basketball. Having done this so many times it’s a relief to make a hire fast, and to a have a good candidate right there ready to go.”
