By Gary Corsair
Sports Writer
Hayesville’s new varsity girls basketball coach Tammy Jones Dills is as patient as she is qualified.
“She’s been coaching middle school for more than 25 years, give or take a year, so she’s been waiting a long time to have an opportunity to coach at the varsity level here at Hayesville, where she won three state titles and she has vested interest in this school,” Hayesville Athletic Director Mike Cottrell said in a press conference Monday afternoon.
When asked how long she wanted the head coaching job, Dills replied, “It’s not that I wanted it. “It was not my time. Coach McClure was already here, so basically I was in the middle school, feeding the program and going from there. If I would have been here 30 years, I would have played my role and done my job.”
Dills takes the reigns from Chad McClure, who coached the Lady Jackets 17 years while Dills repeatedly had winning records in middle school basketball and varsity volleyball.
“We couldn’t ask for anybody more Black-and-Gold,” Cottrell said. “As you know from previous experience, Coach Dills is a highly-qualified basketball coach.”
Hayesville High School Principal Stacey Overlin concurred. “I’m really, really excited about the future of Lady jackets basketball,” Overlin remarked after stating that Dills was the top choice of a committee that screened and interviewed applicants.
Dills, who played on three Hayesville state champion basketball teams, is raring to make her mark on a program that posted a varsity record of 21-7 two years ago and 16-12 in 2025.
“I’m very excited to have this opportunity. Everyone’s mainly played for me before. You know my expectations,” Dills said. “Basketball starts more than just the ninth through 12th grade. We have to start from our younger age and get the fundamentals and the interest going so that continues.”
When asked about her goals for a team that will be built on returning players, Dills remarked, “Our goals for this year are to make sure the girls have fun and to adjust well and build on every game and every practice.”