Etowah Wants To Hire New Boys Basketball Head Coach

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WOODSTOCK, GA -- At the April 21 Cherokee County School Board meeting, Etowah High School will seek approval to hire a new boys basketball coach.

The school wants to bring aboard Allen Whitehart, a Georgia Coach of the Year winner, to lead the program as head coach.

Etowah High School will see its athletic teams compete in Georgia’s new largest classification -- AAAAAAA -- during the 2016-17 school year, the school district said.

“I believe Etowah basketball has a solid foundation in place that begins with the administration and extends into the community,” said Coach Whitehart, who will also teach social studies at Etowah. “I want to thank Superintendent of Schools Dr. Brian Hightower and the Cherokee County School Board for giving me the opportunity to lead the Etowah High School Basketball program. I am humbled that Principal Keith Ball and Athletic Director Bob Van Alstyne believe in my vision, and I am ready to roll up my sleeves to begin the process of building a culture of winning.”

Whitehart has coached the past five years at Buford High School and is credited with resurrecting that school's basketball program.

After three consecutive 8-17 seasons for Buford prior to his arrival, Coach Whitehart, in his first season, led the team to a 24-9 record and a State AA Championships runner-up finish. For his efforts, he was named Coach of the Year by the Georgia Sports Writers Association, Gwinnett Daily Post, Gainesville Times and the Access North Georgia. He also was tapped to serve as a coach in the Georgia North/South All-Star game.

During the next four years at Buford, Coach Whitehart compiled a record of 91-34 and led the Wolves to two Sweet 16 appearances, a Final Four game and another state championships runner-up finish for 2013-14.

Prior to rebuilding Buford’s program, Coach Whitehart spent seven years at Centennial High School in Roswell. After serving as an assistant coach for three seasons, Coach Whitehart took the reins in 2006-07 and guided Centennial to the best season in school history, finishing with a 28-5 record.

The Knights reached the state championship game in 2007 and finished state runner-up, with just one point deciding the winner, and Coach Whitehart was named Georgia AAAAA and Region 6-AAAAA Coach of the Year. Coach Whitehart left Centennial with a four-year record of 97-25, and the team reached a No. 1 Georgia ranking and No. 19 national ranking during his tenure.

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Images via Cherokee County School District