Spencer Riley Named Head Football Coach for JCHS Patriots

Staff Photo by Angie Stanley

Just in time for spring practice to begin, Jefferson County High School announced JCHS and University of Tennessee alum Spencer Riley as the new head coach for the football program.  Riley, a former player for the Patriots, was announced during a press conference and meeting with the football team early MondayMorning.

Graduating from the University of Tennessee in 2000, Riley was a key lineman member of the the 1998 National Championship Vols.  His first coaching position came at Karns in 2001 where he was an offensive coordinator, offensive line coach, defensive coordinator, and linebackers coach.  He has served on many football programs since then, including both on the high school and collegiate level, including seven years on Tusculum College’s football staff.  Most recently, he is currently the director at the Smoky Mountain Boys and Girls Club in Gatlinburg, where he plans on continuing to serve until a replacement is to be found.

“It’s a great opportunity to be home, and we look forward to the excitement here, and to be a major part of the community,” Riley stated during his introduction on Monday.  “We’ll get things turned around. It’s going to be different because it’s not what people are used to seeing anymore.  Football has changed over the years, and I’ve changed some of the things that I like to do.  Football is physical, and if it’s not physical it’s hard to win.  We’re gonna be physical with what we do, throwing the football, catching the football, blocking; people are going to know that we are going to be very physical in what we do, and they’re going to have to be physical in what they do to stop us.”

“When I was growing up I played football here; it was a great atmosphere.  I remember, as I was growing up here, up to eight to ten thousand people in the stands.  You know, I’ve been coming back here for the last five to six years to watch, and there’d be only two to three thousand people.  These Kids deserve better than that, so we as a community have to come out and support them.”

Riley is a huge proponent of community support, and mentioned it once again during his interview,”It’s all about getting these kids motivated, getting this community motivated to be supportive.  Just being an outsider looking in over these last couple years, I really see there’s been a lack in this community of support.  I look forward to getting out and talking to people to see what I can do to get this community out and to support us, and supporting this school better.  I look forward to the opportunities of growing, and making this football program back to what it used to be”.

Riley also would like to be more of an advocate for two way communication with the community, “If you don’t communicate with your community, they’re going to have a hard time buying in and believing you.”

Riley also knows that this is going to be a transition for him, going from assistant to head coach, but has “a lot of coaches who have mentored” and who he can call.  He believes that everything he’s seen has prepared him.

“I appreciate everything I have learned from them. I have learned what to do, what not to do, so it was time for that step for me.”

As a former collegiate assistant, Riley has big plans for the JCHS football program.  “That’s how I’m treating this job, were going to treat it like a collegiate program.  These kids are going to practice like a collegiate program, they’re going to dress like a collegiate program, they’re going to act like a collegiate player should act, because if they know that, they are gonna’ be successful in the classroom, they’re gonna’ be successful in the community. They’re going to be successful people.”

“It’s definitely been a blessing,” Riley said. “I wasn’t even looking for this opportunity, it just kind of happened… Things just kind of worked out and played out for me and Jefferson County, and it worked out the best for both parties. We’re excited to be here and it’s going to be a great opportunity.”