Monica Moore has been a staple on the sidelines at basketball games at Warren County Middle School for 17 years, but when the Pioneers take the court in November, they’ll be without their fiery leader.
Moore accepted a position in the Rutherford County school system this week, ending a run at WCMS which nearly lasted two decades.
Moore has served as head coach of nearly every basketball team at the middle school, beginning with girls teams before moving over to coach the boys early last decade.
Moore began her coaching career in Warren County in 1994, and will leave after coaching the Pioneer boys basketball team for the last 11 years.
Coach Moore was best known for her passion on the sidelines, with her voice being heard throughout the gym when she called out instructions.
Moore helped lead the Pioneers to new heights at the middle school and presided over the team as it moved into the Central Tennessee Conference after years of competing locally.
During her tenure with the boys basketball team, the Pioneers became a staple at the top of the CTC standings. In her final season, the Pioneers finished third in the regular season of the seven-team CTC conference.
Losing Moore was more than just losing a basketball coach to new WCMS principal Gerald Tidwell. For Tidwell, it was about losing an educator who had become a part of the WCMS family during her time with the school.
“This is a tremendous loss for our school,” said Tidwell. “Monica is an outstanding coach, but more importantly, she’s an outstanding educator.”
The void coach Moore left as seventh- and eighth-grade boys basketball coach has already been filled. Adam Wood, who was originally hired to take over the new fifth- and sixth-grade boys team, will step up to lead the varsity Pioneers.
Tidwell and WCMS athletic director Kristie Rogers have already been corresponding with high school coach Malcolm Montgomery on how best to fill the new coaching vacancy for the younger Pioneer boys team. Tidwell hopes to have the position filled within a week.