Torrey Dale has been named the new boys and girls head basketball coach for J.Z. George. He coached both teams at Durant this past year and has previous head coaching experience at H.W. Byers, Charleston and West Lowndes.
“He's a young guy who brings a lot of enthusiasm,” said J.Z. George athletic director Alex Rawls. “We look forward to the energy he is going to bring to the program. I think he will fit in well. His philosophy on how to coach kids and how to prepare kids matches up well with what we are trying to build as an athletic department.”
Both J.Z. George teams struggled this year. The boys won five games and the girls one. “I feel like I can come in and make a change in the culture of the program,” Dale said.
He hopes to run an up-tempo offense. “I like to get up and down the court and take a lot of shots. You can't score if you don't shoot the ball.”
The Durant girls finished 18-6, won Region 5-1A and reached the quarterfinals of the state tournament before suffering a 44-43 loss to 1A champion Pine Grove.
Dale will also coach the boys and girls track teams. He is a graduate of Durant, where he played on a state championship basketball team, and Jackson State University, J.Z. George is looking for a baseball coach to replace Wylie Rhodes, who left to accept a position at Noxapater. Rawls said a decision is expected shortly.
