Redmond heading to Northwest Whitfield

Published 11:44 pm Friday, June 12, 2015

One of the area’s most successful baseball coaches is switching allegiances. Former North Murray High School baseball coach David Redmond is moving across the Conasauga River as he has accepted a position as a math teacher at Northwest Whitfield High School. He will also be the junior varsity baseball coach and an assistant varsity coach for the Bruins under Todd Middleton. In addition to baseball, he will coach the freshman football team. Redmond said the decision was made in the interest of what was best for his family.

“My kids are in the Whitfield County school system and when the opportunity came up at Northwest we decided it was best for me to accept it,” Redmond said. “Leaving Murray County didn’t have anything to do with being unhappy there. It just boiled down to family.”

Redmond taught and coached at North Murray for four years. He was an assistant under current Mountaineers softball coach Steve Granger for two years and when Granger went to his current position Redmond was promoted to head coach. In his two seasons at the helm, the Mountaineers posted a record of 24-28 and made the playoffs in 2014 where they were swept by Buford. North Murray — which played its first full varsity season in 2012 — posted its first winning record in 2015 as the Mountaineers were 13-11, but failed to make the playoffs in Region 6-3A.

“In two years as an assistant under Steve Granger I learned a lot about how to be a high school coach. I was very well prepared,” Redmond said. “I do feel like I am leaving a lot left on the table as far as the overall goals of the program. But I know they are headed in the right direction.”

Redmond, a 1993 graduate of Murray County High School, was the teacher of the year at North Murray in 2013. Prior to going to North Murray he was also an assistant coach at Bagley Middle School. A former pitcher for the Indians, he went on to play at Piedmont College in Demorest for coach Steve Harwood.

Redmond will now join a Northwest program that has been the most consistent in the area over recent years, making the playoffs each of the last three seasons. The Bruins were 15-9 in 2015 and swept Madison County in the first round of the Class 4A state playoffs with a pair of 4-2 victories. Northwest was 20-6 in 2014 as the No. 1 seed from Region 7-4A, but were upset in the first round by LaGrange. In 2013 the Bruins were 23-10 with a first round victory over Grady before falling to Stephens County.

Middleton said his staff has had an opening each of the last two seasons, but couldn’t seem to find the right fit, until now.

“David is a really great fit for us,” Middleton said. “Any time you can add a guy to your staff who has head coaching experience and has been successful it’s a big plus. He’s making the move for his family and he will be helping out with varsity and the head JV coach. His addition is going to be a big plus.”