Courtesy Milan Mirror-Exchange
By Victor Parkins
After serving 14 seasons as an assistant coach for the Bulldogs, Craig ‘Teddy’ Pettigrew will now lead the Milan football program.
MHS Principal and Athletic Director Greg Scott made the announcement Friday.
Pettigrew, 46, is a 1991 graduate of Milan High School where he was a standout offensive lineman.
The new coach said this is the job he’s always wanted and can’t wait to get started.
“This is absolutely my dream job,” Pettigrew told the Mirror-Exchange shortly after learning the job was his. “I know it’s going to take a lot of hard work to reach our goals, and that will be to win a state championship every single year.
“I’m truly honored to coach the Bulldogs and we’re going to be a great football program. To do that, we’ll make sure we get our work done in the classroom first.”
After Coach Pettigrew meets with the team for the first time Tuesday, he said he will begin evaluating his players and start preparing for next season.
“I don’t see a lot of changes in how we’ll run our offense or defense but that could change,” he said. “What I can tell you is that we’re going to be relentless competitors. We want to be the best in football team in the state.
“I’m a very passionate coach because that’s how I was coached. I want to win and I’ll put 110 percent of myself into this job and I expect the same thing from my coaches and players.”
Pettigrew has served as the Bulldogs defensive coordinator for the past seven seasons, but knows it responsibilities will change drastically.
“I’ll manage every aspect of the team now, but I’ve been fortunate to see both sides of the ball over my career,” he said. “In high school and college I played on the offensive side. But in college I’ve always coached defense so I understand it all.”
The coach said he has high hopes that all current Milan assistants will stay on his staff. He also hopes to hire a defensive coordinator and a quarterbacks coach.
“We’ve got some great coaches on staff already and we know what to expect from one another,” he added.
As far as the 2018 season goes, Pettigrew already knows a good bit about the returning players he coached last season.
“We’ve got a lot of talent returning and we’ve already got great leadership from our senior class in the weight room,” Pettigrew said. “I’m always going to put the best athletes on the field and do what I can to give this program a chance to win as many games as we can.”
Pettigrew said he was relieved the hiring process is over, and thanked a few key supporters for the opportunity ahead of him.
“I especially want to thank my former coaches Bill Bona and Tim Warren for believing in me and coach Morris for his support,” Pettigrew said. “I appreciate my administration for having the confidence in me to lead this program, and of course my family for always being there for me.”
Mr. Scott said Friday’s announcement was an exciting day for MHS.
“Coach Pettigrew bleeds purple and will continue the rich tradition of Bulldog football,” said Scott. “He is an excellent role model for our student-athletes and will lead these young men with integrity and toughness.
“We will be poised to (reach) Cookeville under his leadership with the cast of returning coaches and players. I know that our community will continue to be fully behind our program and fill the stadium for our first home game against Peabody on August 24th.”
(PHOTO: New Milan head football coach Craig “Teddy” Pettigrew (right) with retired Milan coach, Jeff Morris)
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