By Chris Yow
Catie Embrey wasn’t looking for a new job, but one was looking for her.
Fresh off a Class A state finals loss in March the Lawrence County native is headed to South Gibson High School in West Tennessee to take over the Lady Hornets program.
“I haven’t applied anywhere; I wasn’t looking for a job,” Embrey said. “This came out of nowhere, and it was something I couldn’t turn down.”
The former Lawrence County and Lipscomb University guard leaves for South Gibson after leading Summertown to the 2021 state title game following district and region crowns in a 26-8 campaign.
She won 79 games in three seasons at Summertown, and led the Lady Eagles to a pair of state tournament appearances. In six seasons, as a head coach, with prior stints at Columbia Academy and Dickson County, she’s compiled a 153-64 record.
Embrey said the chance to take over a program with a wealth of resources was a big part of her decision, but administration turnover also played a role.
“I’ve had a different administration every year I’ve been here,” she said. “There are so many factors that went into this decision, though.”
South Gibson is coming off a 15-14 season with a loss in the Region 7-AA quarterfinals. Just as Summertown will be moving up to Class AA for the upcoming classification period, the Lady Hornets are set to compete in District 12-AA next year.
Embrey replaces Carla Wyatt, who resigned at the end of the season.