By Ross Johnson

Sports Writer

Troup High can thank Carson-Newman College for the newest additions to its coaching staff.

Tyler Wynn and J.J. Chatmon joined the team this offseason after recently graduating from the NCAA Division II college in Tetnnessee, and both have provided a youthful boost for the team.

Wynn was the starting quarterback for Troup in 2003, when the Tigers won 11 games and made it to the Class AAA quarterfinals.

Chatmon, in addition to being a running back at Carson-Newman, won a Class AAA state title in 1999 while at Cartersville, and played alongside current Miami Dolphins star Ronnie Brown.

They’re both continuing their football careers as Troup coaches, and their youth has added another dimension to the Tigers’ staff.

“I like their excitement and enthusiasm,” said Troup head coach Bubba Jeter. “Tyler played here and kind of know how things work. He’s passionate about what he does, and the same is with J.J. They’re both really knowledgeable about the game and the kids like them.”

For Wynn, his return has been a homecoming worth waiting for.

Being one of the Tigers’ most notable signal-callers in recent years, Wynn knows how things are run in the program, and that’s helped him in his first year out of college.

Wynn coaches the quarterbacks, and uses his previous knowledge and experience to the Tigers’ advantage.

“To see these guys doing the same things I did, it’s been a really personal experience for me,” said Wynn, who graduated from Troup in 2004. “I feel like I haven’t left. It’s almost like I’m still able to come to practice and learn things for myself, too.”

As a dual-sport athlete at Troup, Wynn said he only saw things from “the outside in,” and didn’t know how much effort went into coaching the Tigers.

Now a part of the school’s faculty, it’s been an eye-opening experience for Wynn.

“It’s been exciting and fun, but the coolest thing about it is coming back and working with the same people who taught me,” said Wynn, who was also a standout baseball player for the Tigers and will be a baseball coach this spring. “I’m seeing it from a whole different perspective.”

Chatmon, who spent the last two years as a graduate assistant for the Carson-Newman football team, is also enjoying his first season in the high school coaching ranks.

While he said it’s been a “learning experience,” Chatmon is adjusting to his role as the Tigers’ running backs coach.

“I’ve been learning a lot and I’ve enjoyed every moment of it,” Chatmon said. “Learning from coach Jeter and (defensive coordinator George) Brewer, finding out the way to do things. I think this will help prepare me for my future, whatever comes up.”

Chatmon was hired at Troup after Wynn told assistant principal Ricky Thrash that Chatmon was “a good guy,” and he likes what he sees so far - especially in the Tigers’ backfield.

Troup boasts a plethora of talented running backs, including seniors Jacorious Cotton and Brandon Worle, along with talented sophomore Andrew Ligon.

It’s making Chatmon’s job easier.

“I love having a stable full of running backs,” Chatmon said. “It makes me look better. You can put any one of them in the game and they’ll make something happen.”

Chatmon has seen what it takes to win a championship at this level.

In 1999, he and Ronnie Brown paved the way to a state title at Cartersville, and knows in order to accomplish the ultimate goal, the team needs to be on the same page.

“You’ve got to be disciplined and they have to want it,” Chatmon said. “We’ve got the athletes here to do it. We’ve got to let these guys know that they can do it, but they’ve got to have the will and discipline to do it.”

Wynn, who was also on the Troup team that made it to the semifinals in 2001, believes this offense has a lot of potential, and he feels the attack is more versatile than it was when he was in school.

“We were mainly an I-formation team back then,” Wynn said “We ran the option and now we’re spreading the ball out and getting the ball in more guys’ hands. We’ve got more athletes. Rather than two wide receivers, we could have five at one time. That’s a whole different game.”

While both coaches aren’t close to reaching their potential in their profession, starting at Troup certainly isn’t a bad thing.

“I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else than right here,” Wynn said.