Upcoming Head Basketball Coach: Dennis Whitley

pictures via Walnut Grove Staff Page

As of Tuesday, August 20, 2024, Walnut Grove has a new Basketball Head Coach- former Assistant Head Coach Dennis Whitley took the position.
by Justin Andrio and Kweku Assan

New head Coach Dennis Whitley has taken the new position for Head Coach at Walnut Grove. He first started off with the team in 2019 and was Assistant Head Coach until now. However, Coach Whitley didn't start off at Walnut Grove. He originally coached girls volleyball at Archer high school. He states, ”At Archer, I never coached basketball. I coached JV volleyball, and then I was the head coach for the girls golf club. It was totally different because I was coaching different genders and different sports, but I enjoyed it, I liked (Archer HS).”

The sport of basketball has always been in Coach Whitley's life. He played basketball in high school, and he went to play for Truett-McConnell University. However, he doesn't just spend his time coaching basketball. He also teaches special education classes and helps around the school. Coach Whitley was asked about his passion for the game and how he feels about being a teacher and a coach.

“I grew up playing basketball my whole life; I love the game. I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to play in college and after my playing career I just wanted to stay around the game… then I got on the coaching staff and I've been coaching for about ten years now.”

Coach Whitley needed bigger and better opportunities, that's why he came to Walnut Grove. Whitley says, ”I view the classroom as a sports team. I coach students the same way I coach athletes, so I take the mindset of a coach and just put it in the classroom… Coach Witherspoon did a really good job over the last 5 years of treating me as a co-head coach, so the things that he had to make decisions on, I was like his right hand man... I got to do a lot of things most assistants probably don't get to, but now I'm here all by myself as the head coach.”

Coach Whitley has bigger and better plans for Walnut Grove basketball: he says, “So we're gonna be super young, but sometimes when you're young, you don't know any better. And I say that to say they don't know that they're not supposed to work as hard as they are working. If this group can stick together for the next 2 or 3 years, [they] can be very special.” Coach Whitley just doesn't want to talk about himself all the time, his passion comes from his players.

Jacob Johnson, one of Coach Whitley’s players, says, “I expect him to get to know his guys, you know, he’s the new head coach.”

Billy Hendrix said, “I feel good. I feel like we are going to do good this year, and I feel like it's gonna be a good year with coach Whitley being the new head coach.”

New Head Coach Dennis Whitley has potential to do something bigger and better than what has been done before.