GRAY DEYOSports Writer

The Tullahoma Wildcats boys’ basketball team that made it to the state final in the 2024-2025 season had immense depth and talent on its roster.  That talent also last season extended to the sideline. Head coach of the boys’ basketball program, Jason Welch, was recently named the TSSAA A.F. Bridges District 4 Male Coach of the Year.

Welch came to Tullahoma to coach in his first season in the 2019-2020 season. Before being the head coach of the Wildcats, he was a head coach at Macon County High School. In his 15 years there, he helped establish the program as a constant competitor. On average, they won 19 games with Welch at the helm of the operation. In that, like he did at Tullahoma, Welch was able to snap a cold spell of The Tigers not making it to the state tourney. In 2017, for the first time in 31 years with a record 29-5, Macon made it to the big dance at MTSU.

This past success has shown to have substance, as the hiring of Welch at THS has proven to be an out-of-the-park signing. In the four seasons before Welch took over, Tullahoma had an overall record of 33-80. In the seasons that Welch has been the coach of Tullahoma, there has been noticeable and steady improvement year to year, especially recently. In the 2022-2023 season, they won eight games, in the 2023-2024 season, they won 17 games, and then last year, they won 35. Obviously, not everything year to year a coach can control, but Welch proved especially last season that he can get the most out of the players he has season by season. Tullahoma is lucky to have him, and he is more than worthy of receiving this coach of the year award.