Couples Who Coach
They coach, they lead, they inspire – and they do it all together. Whether it’s calling plays, running drills, or cheering from the sidelines, these couples know the value of teamwork both on and off the field. From football and baseball to volleyball and cheerleading, meet five local couples who are coaching, and winning, together.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY VITYL MEDIA
Left: Coach Dawn Barger, Assistant Volleyball and Basketball Coach
Right: Coach David Barger, Assistant Football Coach
David: I would describe Dawn as a player’s coach. She’s tough, demanding, and holds her players to a high standard. She’s able to do this because she truly cares for her players and works on building authentic relationships with them. We both believe the old saying, “Players don’t care what you know until they know that you care!”
Dawn: Very intense and passionate, as well as organized and prepared! We want all of our players to find success through tough coaching and high expectations in all areas of their life – whether on the field, court, or classroom.
David: Yes, a lot. Dawn loves to get my students or players to refer to her as the “better” Coach Barger! She loves to remind me that she is the only Coach Barger with a State Championship ring. In her first year as a high school head coach, she won the TSSAA Boys’ Basketball Class A State Championship in 2011 and made history as the first female in the state of Tennessee to win a championship coaching boys. The closest I came was in 2013 as the defensive coordinator at Giles County High School – we finished Class 4A State Runner-Up to Knox Fulton. We’re both very competitive and love to try and gain friendly bragging rights over each other!
Dawn: Of course! Ask him which coach in the house has a state championship ring! He is trying to catch up.
David: After any big win we typically go out to eat and just talk and replay the game. Ironically, how we comfort each other is also by going out to eat and replaying the mistakes, calls, etc. that we need to improve upon.
Dawn: After big wins, we love sitting out and hearing each other tell stories about the game from the coach side, as well as the fan side. But on losses, I let him know that if I was the coach, we would have won! On the serious end, we both know that you learn more from the losses, so we listen to what we would’ve done differently and then get back to work. We don’t let each other dwell on it long!
Left: Coach Jason Mull, Assistant Football Coach and Head Wrestling Coach
Right: Coach Dana Mull, Head Softball Coach and Assistant Girls’ Basketball Coach
Photo by Rich Smith
Jason: Sports were always a part of my life growing up, and I found myself coaching youth football and baseball teams in college, so it was an easy transition and decision. I feel very fortunate to have had the coaches that I had in school, and I still look up to them today.
Dana: My dad started me in softball when I was 4, and it has been a huge part of my life since. I have had many great coaches throughout my career, but watching my dad coach my whole life was a huge reason I wanted to become a coach.
Jason: We both coach fall and winter sports, so it gets tough, but we manage to get to as many games as possible. For me, it’s even more special when I can get to a game, as our daughter, Riley, is a junior this year. You just do what you can, and Coach Groce does a good job with us dads – encouraging us to maybe miss the last little part of a practice so we can make it to see our kids play.
Dana: It’s hard with both of us coaching the same seasons, but of course I will go to the football games as much as I can, while he will come watch softball as much as possible. The same goes in the winter with basketball and wrestling. Since my daughter plays softball and basketball, he tries to come any chance he can!
Jason: I think both of us are starting to realize we’re getting old, as we have so many past students growing up and starting families of their own. Many of them are even becoming teachers and/or coaches. I’m always running into students I’ve coached who are now coaches.
Dana: Sports are a huge part of teaching life lessons that help students be successful in whatever path they choose. To feel like we could make an impact on their lives makes us want to keep working hard at what we do.
Left: Coach Sheyla Jordan, Assistant Flag Football Coach
Right: Coach Nigel Jordan, Assistant Flag Football Coach
Nigel: Football first drew me in because of the challenge it presented. Growing up, I was often told I was too small to compete, so the game became a way for me to push past limitations and redefine what was possible. My passion for coaching comes from a desire to pour into the next generation. I’ve experienced firsthand how the lessons learned through football, discipline, resilience, and accountability translate far beyond the field, and I’m committed to using the sport as a platform to help shape young people into confident, capable individuals.
Sheyla: I grew up representing the Cayman Islands in track and field from the age of 6, so athletics have always been a huge part of my identity. After my track career, I fell in love with flag football because it challenged me in a completely different way. Competing internationally and at the highest levels of the sport gave me so much that coaching became a natural next step. I wanted to help young athletes discover their confidence, discipline, and potential both on and off the field.
Both: We show up for each other because athletes need support too. Whether it’s attending games, helping with practices, celebrating successes, or encouraging our youth athletes through difficult moments, we treat all of our athletes like they’re part of our family. We genuinely want every player to succeed.
Both: It’s incredibly meaningful. Flag football changed both of our lives and brought us the gift of family – and knowing we have the opportunity to create that same impact for young athletes is something we never take for granted. We hope our players leave our programs with confidence, character, and lessons they’ll carry long after the final whistle.
Left: Coach Anna Crisp, Head Cheerleading Coach
Right: Coach Austin Crisp, Head Football Coach
Austin: We’re both disciplined, supportive, and focused on the success of every student-athlete. Anna holds her girls accountable. She likes to have a little more of a fun and collaborative environment, but her team knows when it’s time to be serious as well.
Anna: We both believe in holding our athletes accountable while helping them reach their full potential. Austin does a great job at building a culture where the team always comes before the individual.
Austin: No, not really. She has already won a region championship, and I haven’t, so there’s really no competition! We celebrate each other’s successes because we’re both working toward the same goal: helping our athletes grow and representing our school well.
Anna: I always go to Austin when I am looking for ways to motivate the cheerleaders. I usually steal his pep talks because he is better with motivational words than I am. I also go to him for strength and conditioning tips.
Austin: There is nothing like celebrating a big win on the field together after a game. However, win or lose, we are there for each other and try to recap the good moments. Sometimes we’ll celebrate with a late-night dinner – laughing about things that happened during the game, or even the tantrums I may or may not have thrown. Same goes for big wins or losses for Anna on Saturdays.
Anna: Austin is always there for me and to recap the day’s events – whether it’s a win or a loss. Ultimately, life goes on, and we don’t let losses affect us too much. We have a daughter and continue on with our weekends (though a weekend is usually more fun after a big win!).
Left: Coach Taylor Usery, Head Volleyball Coach and Assistant Flag Football Coach
Right: Coach Brandon Usery, Associate Head Coach / Offensive Coordinator and Head Flag Football Coach
Brandon: I’ve played football all my life and was fortunate to have the opportunity to continue playing football in college. Several of my coaches had a positive impact on my life, so I always knew I wanted to coach football and try to have the same positive impact on my players.
Taylor: As a coach’s daughter, I’ve been around sports my entire life. My siblings and I spent our summers going to early morning workouts with our dad and witnessed firsthand everything it meant to be a coach. I’ve always admired his passion and truly feel that coaching is my calling. Volleyball was my primary sport throughout high school, and I got the opportunity to coach when I returned to my alma mater as a teacher.
Both: Honestly, that is why we do what we do. Sports played a significant role in forming us as individuals.
The lessons learned from playing sports go far beyond the competition, and we hope to use sports to teach our student-athletes lessons they will carry with them far beyond the field and court.
Both: Always. We’re both very competitive. Whether it’s golf, a card game, or even shooting basketball at the family pool, we are always competing and keeping tallies on who wins.
Both: We tell students to, “Always try to be the best version of yourself,” and “The wins and losses don’t define who you are as a person.” We want to teach our student-athletes that they are in control of their attitude and their effort, and, no matter the circumstances, their character will be on display in the toughest moments of life.
