Giving one for the team
- Updated: August 7, 2015
Chambless gives up J’ville girls hoops post, will coach boys only; Buzan taking girls
Ryan Chambless (C) plots strategy with his Jacksonville girls basketball team during a timeout in last year’s Class 4A Final Four in Birmingham. On the cover, Chambless makes a point to boys scorer Cam Horton during a game at Lincoln. (File photos)
By Al Muskewitz
East Alabama Sports Today
JACKSONVILLE – The boys and girls basketball teams at Jacksonville High School will be working under two sets of coaches this season.
In a decision he said he “weighed on me” greatly, coach Ryan Chambless has reduced his load for the good of both programs, giving up the girls team to coach only the boys.
He had been coaching the Golden Eagles girls since 2011 and doing double duty for the past two seasons. His girls team was Class 4A state runnersup last season.
Tres Buzan will take over the girls team.
Chambless said the demands of coaching the two teams detracted from being fully committed to both their needs. He said a full-time coach in each program would maximize both their chances for success.
Chambless hadn’t coached girls basketball until coming to Jacksonville, but enjoyed his greatest on-court success with it. In addition to last year’s runnerup finish, he won the state championship in his second year with the Lady Golden Eagles. He insisted he was not picking one over the other.
“The girls have been an absolute blessing to me personally and professionally and it’s just been unbelievable working with them,” he said, “but at the same time I’ve kind of been cheating both groups by me doing both a little bit.
“It’s not intentional because you’re giving it your all (but) there are things you need to do with each side that you’re not able to because you feel like you’re being pulled in both directions. You always think something else could have been done and I hate that feeling as a coach and a player. I feel like the situation will just be so much better if there are two of us.”
Chambless said he was “more than adamant” about his desire for Buzan to take over the girls program before pulling the trigger on the split.
“He deserves the chance to be the head coach and I felt he’d be a great fit for the girls,” he said. “I wanted to feel right about the whole situation and I feel good about the situation now knowing Tres is taking it over.
“I think he is going to do a great job there and he’s gong to be able to put the time in that really needs to put in. Like I will put in the time that really needs to be put in (with the boys).”
Buzan said he is “thankful and excited” to have this opportunity to become a head coach.
“I appreciate the confidence the administration has shown and am thankful for the support of the great group of coaches we have here at Jacksonville,” he said. “I am looking forward to getting to know my team and know together we will work hard to continue the positive tradition of girls basketball here at Jacksonville.”
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