Putnam County Schools Changing How Coaches Are Paid

Coaches and Athletic Directors say the recent updates to Putnam County’s pay supplement plan are a positive change for the School System.

The new three-tiered system gives coaches an increase in pay as they stay in their position longer.

Upperman High School Athletic Director Ross Fanning said the increase should encourage more coaches to take positions in Putnam County. He said the turnover rate of coaches should decrease as they are awarded for their experience.

“I think it’s great for coaches, they work hard all year round, it’s not just an in-season type job for most of the sports, especially at the High School and Middle School level,” Fanning said. “They put in a lot of work and I think our coaches deserve it.”

An additional Athletic Director will now be added at Putnam County High Schools.

Fanning said he thinks the additional Athletic Director at High Schools will help a lot with lightening the workload. He said it is especially necessary at larger schools with multiple sports in season at once.

“It gets really crazy and hectic, you have baseball, softball, track and field, soccer, lacrosse, and you have to have somebody at a game, at every home game,” Fanning said. “I can see on a larger scale where an extra AD will help in a lot of different areas.”

Along with the additional Athletic Director at High Schools, Middle School Athletic Directors will receive a pay increase to closer match that of High School Directors.

Avery Trace Middle School Athletic Director Clif Matlock said this increase is necessary because with Putnam County Middle Schools joining the Tennessee Middle School Athletic Association, the workload of Athletic Directors and coaches will be much heavier than before.

“Now at the Middle School level you’re having to do eligibility, you’re having to enter schedules, you’re having to do the rostering and stuff, you’re having to do all the same thing the High School Athletic Directors are,” Matlock said. “And quite frankly we’ve got as many sports here at the Middle School level as we do at most of our high schools.”

Matlock said this increase should also reduce the turnover rate of coaches at the Middle School level because they can now receive pay that is closer to that of local High Schools and Middle Schools in larger districts.

Assistant coach supplements will now all be 50 percent of Head Coach Supplements as well.