Coach’s Corner – Maplewood High School
Coach Ty Wilson
Maplewood High School
Nashville, TN
TSSAA Boys AA State Champions 2017
11th season: overall records: 96-24 (Entering 2017-18 season)
As we turn our attention to the Metro Nashville School district, and TSSAA Class AA coaches, we will spotlight Maplewood High School, Coach Ty Wilson, in this series. If you saw him, you would think that he would still be smiling from ear to ear and jumping up and down with joy after winning the Class AA State Championship for the 2016-17 season. Not at all! He is as cool as they come when talking about being the first Metro Nashville team to win a State Championship since 1996 when Martin Luther King High School won. Coach Wilson is in his 12th season as Head Coach of the Maplewood Panthers, and over that time period, has tremendously revitalized the boys basketball program with his current record of 96-24. Coach Wilson talks about his style and philosophy, when it comes to coaching and the kind of kids that enroll at Maplewood High School.
Driven by single parent homes and very little money coming into the basketball program from boosters, Coach Wilson uses basketball as a tool for helping his players find opportunities to play at the next level. When asked, he replied by saying, “It’s about building relationships and getting involved.” “When we design certain drills and programs for the kids, I will roll up my sleeve to show them how it’s supposed to be done.” When our kids see that, it makes it much easier for them to buy into the type of atmosphere we are trying to create. Similar to that of college coach Shaka Smart, of the University of Texas, does with his players.
Similar to every other coach in the district who will lose some of their best kids to private schools, coach Wilson has the same difficulties when it comes to developing consistency. Coach Wilson believes team bonding, creating a free to express yourself environment, and a mentality of working hard every time you come in the gym approach. Coach Wilson is constantly teaching his players to have a team first mindset. With a great support system from his staff, like freshman coach and Tennessee State University standout, Jeremiah Crutcher for developing the underclassmen, and Coach Wilson’s number one go to guy, coach Hobson, who helps to balance and teach coach Wilson’s philosophy of hard work and team first concepts, the players buy in all the way.
For the 2017-18 season, the Panthers will have to step it up behind the leadership of ETSU signee and Mr. Basketball for the State of Tennessee, Bo Hodges (2017). Coach Wilson is developing guys like R.T Wilcox, 6’3 PG, who is very quick and loves to slash. Jalen Alexander who was also the second leading scorer on that 2016-17 championship team, but Alexander, who is 6’2, and plays out on the wing will help, because he can fill it up in a hurry. He will have to even a bigger threat this season if the Panthers are going to repeat, and the guys who didn’t get much playing time will have to earn big time names for themselves this year.
The odds to repeat as State Champs will be tough, but Coach Wilson and staff are returning a great core of guys that he feels can get the job done. The Panthers will have to go through hostile territory to complete the task. So ladies and gentlemen, mark your calendars for the following games on the road to repeat as champions. Our Prephoops must see games are against Whites Creek, Stratford, East Magnet, and of course the grand daddy of the all rivals, Pearl Cohn High School. PrepHoops Sports would like to wish Coach Wilson and his Maplewood Panthers good luck on another run to repeat as Class AA State Championship for 2017-18.