A well-known name in West Tennessee high school basketball has been selected to lead the program at Jackson Central-Merry.
According to a press release from Greg Hammond – Chief of Public Information – Jackson-Madison County School System – two-time all-West Tennessee Coach of the Year Kendall Dancy will take over as head coach of the Cougars this fall.
“A number of quality applicants applied for this job,” said Deputy Superintendent Ricky Catlett, “We were fortunate to find a coach of this caliber at this point in the athletic calendar. However, I think that speaks to the renown and prestige of the JCM brand.”
Coach Dancy began his career in Haywood and coached the Tomcat program for seven seasons. His tenure included several appearances in the region and state semifinals before capturing the TSSAA Class AA championship in 2015.
Dancy was later recruited by Milan to lead both girls and boys basketball programs. In March, he led the Ripley boys basketball team to a region title and a substate appearance.
“I’m passionate about basketball, but I’m also passionate about developing young leaders of high character,” Dancy said, “We will do that at Jackson Central-Merry. We’ll produce a product, on and off the court that is worthy of the school’s incredible legacy.”
Dancy takes over a JCM program that reached the Region 7A semifinals in the school’s first basketball season since 2016.
Their 2023 campaign will be powered by Dancy’s leadership as Rick Rudesill resigned his post on Monday, August 15.
(PHOTO: Kendall Dancy)
