Stan Gatlin, who had coached the Brighton High boys’ basketball team for nine seasons, was informed last Friday by the BHS administration that he was no longer the coach.
Gatlin had some good seasons during his tenure. According to a Twitter post made by Gatlin, he’s the all-time winningest coach in program history and the only boys’ basketball coach at Brighton to win back-to-back district titles, make it to the sectionals (2017), make it to the region championship and beat the number one team in the state (Haywood, this season).
However, the program has struggled the last few seasons. Brighton when 4-18 during the 2021-22 season and 8-16 this past season. The Cardinals went 11-6 during the COVID-shortened 2020-21 season, 13-17 in 2019-20 and 12-15 the season before that. Brighton won back-to-back district titles in 2017 and 2018.
Brighton principal Brian Crowson said the administration decided to go in a different direction.
Gatlin said he was told the reason he was relieved of his coaching duties was because the program was not headed in an upward trajectory.
The now former head coach said his top two scorers in 2021-22 missed the season because of injury and only three players this season had varsity experience. He added that his win total doubled from last season and his teams won multiple TSSAA GPA awards.
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