Rhea Parents Want Football Coach Fired

This sure has been awful quite, first I ever heard about it. Nice news coverage Herald Newspaper!

http://www.newschannel9.com/news/coach-100888...

A mother wants one local high school football coach fired for hurting her son. She's been trying for months to get answers from the school system, but they say the case is closed.

According to school officials and players on the team, Rhea County's football coach, Doug Greene, threw one of his players to the ground during practice in October. That player got hurt, and the coach served a two-day suspension in December, after the season ended.

The player involved is sophomore linebacker Tyler Walden. Walden spoke with us Wednesday. Walden says after a play where he missed and then made a tackle, Greene approached Walden, put his arm around the teenager's neck, grabbed his facemask and threw Walden to the ground.

Walden says he hurt his neck, and went from a starter to playing a few minutes at the end of a game. Tyler's mom, Melissa Price got involved and the school system investigated. They suspended Greene for two days.

"We've had coaches in the past, grab kids by their facemask to pull them to them," said Price. "Get their attention, I'm OK with that. This is football. It's rough. It's a contact sport, I'm all for that. I love football. I love Rhea County football, but I don't agree with how they're handling this situation."

Price took her story to Rhea County District Attorney Mike Taylor and he pursued criminal charges. On Monday, a grand jury heard the case, but did not return an indictment. So with no charges and the coach serving his two-day suspension, shouldn't the issue be over? Price says no.

"Everything that happens here (in Rhea County), whether it be little or small, it gets swept under the rug, and that's exactly what they're doing now."

Price says other football parents are on her side, and other football players are too. Especially when they found out this isn't the first time Greene's gotten physical with a player. According to an article from MTSU Sidelines published in 2004, Greene was suspended while coaching baseball in the Nashville area.

"If Coach Greene is here next year, my kid will not play for him," Price said.

Rhea County's superintendent and the high school principal both say they stand by the way they handled the investigation, and the punishment Greene received.

We called and emailed Greene for comment, but have not received a response.

Greene teaches History at Rhea County High School. This past season was his first coaching the Golden Eagles. He's also coached at Ooltewah High School and Carson-Newman College.

2004 MTSU Sidelines:

Blackman High baseball Coach Doug Greene has been suspended for the remainder of the season after complaints from parents, school officials said.
The complaints stem from an altercation between Blackman Blaze Coach Greene and some of the players in the dugout during an April game, according to Rutherford County Schools Spokesperson Jim Mahanes.
Mahanes said that because the allegations were brought during spring break (April 5-9), immediately responding to them was difficult.
Furthermore, Blackman High Principal Gary Nixon was out of town, Mahanes said.
"As soon as they returned from break," Mahanes said, "Rutherford County Schools Superintendent Larry Gill then responded to the complaint."
Nixon and Gill were unable to be contacted.
"What the superintendent does was he immediately suspended [Greene] until an investigation was launched," Mahanes said.
The results of the investigation were to suspend him immediately, he added.
Greene's status as a coach next season is "kind of up in the air, too," Mahanes said.
"As for the 04-05 season, any future coach assignments will be made after an assessment of Mr. Greene's actions to correct the issue of concern," Mahanes said.
According to The Daily News Journal, Blackman parents said Greene became physical with a couple of the players after an April 2 game.
Parents said he later apologized and agreed to abide by the players' request that he not coach the April 3 games, the DNJ reported.
Assistant Coach Buford "Mudcat" Brewer has taken over as coach in Greene's absence.
Greene has been coaching at Blackman High, which is located at 3956 Blaze Dr., since 2001.
He was the head coach at Coffee County High from 1994-99 and an assistant coach at Cheatham County High (1993) and at Brentwood High (1992).
He attended MTSU from 1990-91 and played baseball at Millsaps College in Jackson, Miss., from 1988-89.
The District 7AAA Blaze is scheduled to play an away game against Wilson Central High Tuesday at 6:30.

Greene named coach: New football coach discusses coaching philosophy, goals and outlook

Administrators announced former Ooltewah High School defensive coordinator Doug Greene as the new Rhea County High School football coach on Thursday.
Greene's coaching history began in 1992 and includes assistant coaching stints at Carson-Newman College (Jefferson City, Tenn.) and the University of West Alabama (Livingston, Ala.), as well as at Ooltewah, Riverdale, Blackmon, Coffee County and Cheatham high schools in Tennessee.

WHY HAS THIS HOT HEAD WORKED FOR SO MANY SCHOOLS? DIDN'T ANYONE EVEN BOTHER TO CHECK THIS MAN THAT SURE SEEMS TO WANT TO BULLY CHILDREN AROUND BUT WHIMPERS AROUND GROWN MEN? IF HE TREATS YOUNG BOYS THIS WAY WONDER HOW HE TREATS YOUNG GIRLS?

Thanks real southern girl for that post, nice to know we did a back ground check on this coach! I know dayton is a small town and people take sides really quick!!! Before we are quick to judge the parents and students...people who are snickering and being mean to these people, what if it was your child?????!!!!! This coach has a past of being physical with kids, really! I can't believe some of you small minded people are being mean and snickering about the abuse these kids went through, again what if it was your daughter, son, nephew, niece, sister or brother!

I think it's time we get physical with the coach, REALLY physical!!!!

Wow I never knew this. I have him for Government (He doesn't teach History, but Government, unless he teaches 2 subjects and I don't know)

He's always seemed very nice. I guess anger problems are something he's prone to. I think this case will crop up again, perhaps with another kid.

There was a back ground done on him...they said the other situation was just "blown out of control" well do they think this is "blown out of control too?" I think not!!! Why is he still there? This is ridiculous that he has not been fired!! I guess things do get swept under the rug in small towns like dayton!!! I don't think he should be allowed around children with that type of anger issues...I don't want him coaching/teaching my kids!!!

Give him a raise.

I was there the day all this happened and I can tell you this and if you dont believe me ask other players on the team. Tyler got what was coming to him he walks around thinking hes the best player on the team and I'm here to tell you hes not. He thinks he can do what he wants when he wants and if someone tries to discipline him his mom jumps in there. I have heard already they're trying to say this has happened becasue hes black. Why is it every time something like this happens and its a black person involved they cry out this is only happen to him becasue hes black? Get over it, the only racist people are you guys crying now days about being discriminated are the racist people. Couch Green doesn't care if your black or white if you refuse to listen to him you will get called out. I hope you know this will fellow Tyler for a long time. You will have to move out of TN and hope and pray other schools will let him play football for them. he got his face mask grab and pulled to the ground big whoopty deal its football. If Tyler new how to keep his mouth shut and do what hes told he would be a good player but he cant becasue in his moms eyes he cant do no wrong, he got busted for smoking pot on the bus and his mom tried to say it wasn't him it was second hand smoke that caused him to fall the drug test, give me a breck.. We all know what your really pissed about couch green wont kiss your butt becasue he knows Tyler is not that good of a football player and he wont put up with his bull crap. But you go ahead and keep crying all you want becasue nothing is going to happen becasue %95% of us on the team are on couch Green side we know what really happened and will stand by couch as long as it takes. You keep saying your leaving this town why not just do it and save us all the trouble of running you guys out of town? This has nothing to do with being racist it only has something to do with how you raised Tyler you let him get away with every thing and now there is a couch that wont put up with his attitude. Why dont you come to the school and ask everybody to take a blind vote and ask who was at fault Tyler or Couch Green and you will see. Yes you can get a few of Tyler's friends and they will say hes a good guy and does nothing wrong but I promise you if you ask the team what they think about him they will tell you hes a trouble maker and needs to be disciplined and have a mom that will be a mom and not try to be his best friend...

Ya I just noticed that my so called smart phone chances words all the time. I'm surprised there isn't more words then that that came out wrong.

I do agree that Tyler has a bad attitude. I also agree that he is a spoiled brat and "does no wrong" in his mom's eyes. But something is fishy about this coach. 8 places in 10 years? That's more places than what a lot of people work in their entire life! That coach needs a reality check. Football or not, you don't grab someone and throw them on the ground to discipline them. If it were my child, I would be doing the same thing as Tyler's mom. I think Rhea County was desperate for a coach and took Greene because they didn't have much other of a choice. So, I guess I would have to say that Tyler probably did have a bad attitude (I mean, doesn't he always have a bad attitude? It's pretty obvious how that boy was raised.. lol) and did need to be punished, but not in the way that the coach handled it. The coach should have just not let him play in the next game or two.

Everybody wants COACH in Rhea County to win football games but when we get one that wont take bull crap of anybody you guys get pissed. Let him do his job and weed out all the trouble makers and you will see Rhea county will be back on top again and will win a few state championships....You guys want a COACH to baby the players and say its okay you messed up here's a cookie now go gets some milk and lets sign a song...That's not how you win football games. Tyler is one of the worst players when it comes to doing what the COACH says. He has the attitude and we now know where he got it from..

And agian I meant changes not chances..

MyOpinion I agree with you. I was there and yes coach shouldn't of did what he did and he apologized for it and got 2 days off work for it. If you were there you would of seen it wasn't as bad as they're making it out to be. Yes he grab his face mask and pulled him down but I'm here to tell you I get a lot worst done to me on the field then that. The grand jury said no bill that should be the end of it right? i heard that tylers mom was saying there was no black people on the jury. What does that have to do with anything? Let me guess Dayton only sent out jury duty letters to white people just so they would no bill it? Why do thye always have to bring racist in to it?

I was there and saw it all...y does it matter if he has a bad attitiude or not..after coach greene did that to him tyler did nothing..he got up and stood there is shock..if he was so bad y didnt he do anything..and so what if his mom is on his side..she should be..that is her kid...furthermore get your facts striaght and what happened on the bus...his mother does stand up for him and i wish that more parents would be like her..i have played football with tyler for years..and he is a heck of a football player..so i dont know y u would say he is not..thats just stupidity on your part..or r u jealous of him..and if you were really at practice that day u would know tyler cut back the run like he was suppose to do and then our other teammates got the tackel..so what did tyler do wrong that he needed to be punished..grow up..obviously u r to scared to put this on facebook where evreyone can know who u r..and y bad mouth his mom? u jealous cause ur mom is a pussy and won't do anything about it..at least she had the balls to say something..hope the samething don't happen to u next year cause if he touches me i will flap kick his ass..and y should they have to move? they r from rhea co he is not..he cantkeep a steady JOB!! so yeah y dont u speak up and not hide behind this screen name and be like her and speak up...don't want your ass kicked by the other half of the team that stands behind tyler and his mom...i got ur back tyler and mom...dont listen to his bullshit..he scared to even state him name!!

So you agree only half the team is behind Tyler? I think you mean more like 10% of the team is behind him dont you? I like how you didn't use your real name either. Are you afraid I'm bigger then you and you will get your butt kicked?

Let me just tell you. You know nothing about how I raise my kid. He may have a bad attitude but he did not deserve what happened to him. No child should be treated like that whether they are black or white. Further more, until you have kids you will not understand the true affect this has had on him. I should not have to move and Tyler should not have to go to another school to play football. We are from Rhea Co. You can comment all you want about how I have raised Tyler. Sounds like to me and another person on here that you are just jealous of him because you may not have the finer things in life. As far as Tyler not being a good football player that's just bull crap. He was the only football player to be invited to go to FBU and make TOP GUN out of 10,000 kids accross the US. They only keep 100 of the players. Say something now about his football abilities. You can set here and say that I am not a good parent all you want. That does not bother me because I know how I have raised my kids. They are taken care of and yes I am his mother first and his friend second. I always want an open relationship with my kids and want them to be able to come talk to me at anytime. Let me tell you another thing, I have NEVER in the 12 years that he has played football went up to a coach and stuck my nose where is did not belong. I have never said anything about his playing time or where he played on the field. That is no my decision to make. It is the coaches. So dont say that I run up there everytime something happens because I do NOT!!!!!!!!!! I have met with coach greene 3 times. once to pay for tylers helmet, second when we had the meeting over what he did to tyle and third was after a football game he came and talk to me and my mother. Never once did i say you need to play my kid and you need to play him at this position. Also, 3 coaches up there have told me that tyler has got all the potential in the world if he would just put more in to practice like he does n a game. So, yes I know that tyler can have an attitude but what teenager doesn't? When you become a parent and someone hurts your child, come talk to me then and you can apologize for how you are talking about Tyler and I. GOODLUCK running me out of Rhea Co. hun I like to see you try!! <<<<melissa price>>>> see i can put my name can you????

One more thing. Why r you so mad? This did not even happen to you. So why say such mean things? FYI, if you look on the internet this happened in Georgia and that coach was fired on the spot! So, no its not "FOOTBALL" its wrong. You even get a personal foul for doing it in a ball game. Why should it be allowed to happen during practice by a coach at that!!! Just saying!

What more do you think can be done? You already took him to court and they no billed it. You had 12 of your piers say he did nothing worth going to court over. A lot of people I know think this is more about money then anything. you know nothing can be done with the courts yet you won't let it die. I mean come on 12 people said in there minds he did nothing worng so they no billed it. I'm pretty sure they got the whole story not just bits and peaces like we are getting. What do you really think will come out of all this? Your making it hard on Tyler. This will fallow him and hurt him if he tries to get in collage. Think about it what coach would want him on his team? They would be afraid if they did something you did agree with you would take them to court or take it to the news. But of course this is America and you have the right to do what you want no matter who you are hurting in the long run.