Derrick Webb, Staff Writer
BAINBRIDGE — A familiar face will soon be making his way back to the Scioto Valley Conference.
Jason Smith, who coached at Adena from 2011-2016, will be recommended for the head coaching position at Paint Valley High and will replace Bobby Williams, who’s been the Bearcats’ head coach for the past three seasons.
Submitted photo
During his time in Frankfort, Smith was 40-75 but led the Warriors to a 16-8 mark and a sectional title in 2015-16. Smith was always keen on building a rapport with his players. That trait helped set the foundation of the success Adena has had in the past several seasons.
He’s hoping to bring the same energy to the Bearcats’ bench.
“I was approached about my interest in coaching again,” Smith said. “After looking into the situation at Paint Valley, I just thought it was the perfect fit with myself, the players and the community.”
The Bearcats are a team plum-full with talent. But the group could never get over the hump last winter, posting a disappointing 9-16 record.
Smith, in effect, will be in a similar situation as the one he walked into during his first year at Adena. Put simply, he’ll be asked to turn the tide and redirect the program towards success.
“I’m very excited to enjoy the process of coaching and building relationships with my players,” Smith said. “We are looking to create a selfless, tough and competitive team that plays for each other.”
Smith will have multiple helpful pieces in place to start his tenure. Of course, that starts with who he’s coaching.
The Bearcats will welcome back several returning starters, including their leading scorer Cordell Grubb.
“We want to make the community proud,” Smith said. “Paint Valley has a great history. We can’t wait to be a part of it.”