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Oakland stayed inside the county with its TSSAA boys basketball hire, and the Patriots are getting a coach who's had a lot of success recently.
Tony Rutland, who guided La Vergne to three consecutive Class 4A sectional appearances, was named the Patriots' coach on April 22.
Rutland takes over for Dyron Birdwell, who announced his resignation in late March.
Rutland took over at La Vergne prior to the 2020-21 season. He took the Wolverines to the 2023 sectional and guided them to the 2024 Class 4A state tournament before falling 63-61 to Walker Valley in the 2025 sectional.
La Vergne went 21-9 this past season, its second consecutive 20-win campaign. Over the past four seasons the Wolverines were 79-47.
"Coach Rutland's success as a coach and player is impressive, but what truly stands out is his dedication to helping our student-athletes grow as leaders and individuals beyond the game," Oakland principal John Marshall said. "Oakland High School has a proud tradition of excellence in basketball, and I am excited for the future of our program under Coach Rutland's leadership."
A standout guard at Wake Forest from 1994-98, Rutland was named third-team All-ACC before playing nine years professionally overseas. He was teammates with NBA legend Tim Duncan while at Wake Forest.
MORE: Shala Ferrell hired as Middle Tennessee Christian girls basketball coach
Rutland scored 1,900 points during his high school playing career at Bethel High in Hampton, Virginia.
Oakland finished 9-21 in 2024-25, finishing last in the regular season in District 8-4A before winning a first-round tournament game and reaching the region semifinals. In four years, the Patriots were 50-69 under Birdwell, reaching at least the region quarterfinals each season.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
Cecil Joyce covers high school sports and MTSU athletics for The Daily News Journal. Contact him at [email protected] and follow him on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, @Cecil_Joyce.
This article originally appeared on Murfreesboro Daily News Journal: TSSAA basketball: Tony Rutland named Oakland boys basketball coach
Continue reading...
Tony Rutland, who guided La Vergne to three consecutive Class 4A sectional appearances, was named the Patriots' coach on April 22.
Rutland takes over for Dyron Birdwell, who announced his resignation in late March.
Rutland took over at La Vergne prior to the 2020-21 season. He took the Wolverines to the 2023 sectional and guided them to the 2024 Class 4A state tournament before falling 63-61 to Walker Valley in the 2025 sectional.
La Vergne went 21-9 this past season, its second consecutive 20-win campaign. Over the past four seasons the Wolverines were 79-47.
"Coach Rutland's success as a coach and player is impressive, but what truly stands out is his dedication to helping our student-athletes grow as leaders and individuals beyond the game," Oakland principal John Marshall said. "Oakland High School has a proud tradition of excellence in basketball, and I am excited for the future of our program under Coach Rutland's leadership."
A standout guard at Wake Forest from 1994-98, Rutland was named third-team All-ACC before playing nine years professionally overseas. He was teammates with NBA legend Tim Duncan while at Wake Forest.
MORE: Shala Ferrell hired as Middle Tennessee Christian girls basketball coach
Rutland scored 1,900 points during his high school playing career at Bethel High in Hampton, Virginia.
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Oakland finished 9-21 in 2024-25, finishing last in the regular season in District 8-4A before winning a first-round tournament game and reaching the region semifinals. In four years, the Patriots were 50-69 under Birdwell, reaching at least the region quarterfinals each season.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
Cecil Joyce covers high school sports and MTSU athletics for The Daily News Journal. Contact him at [email protected] and follow him on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, @Cecil_Joyce.
This article originally appeared on Murfreesboro Daily News Journal: TSSAA basketball: Tony Rutland named Oakland boys basketball coach
Continue reading...
