By John Balch
News-Leader staff
After more than six years away from the game, Jay Turley will make his return to coaching football in 2025 after being picked – again – as the new Rattler head coach.
Turley replaces Brad Chesshir, who left the head coach position open after three seasons to accept the head coaching job at Nashville. Turley has previously coached the Rattlers, leading them from 2006 to 2009 with a record of 30-15. He will also serve as the district’s athletic director.
Turley was only 34 when he took the Rattler reins from longtime coach Roger Featherston. He is now 53 and has spent the last six years in administration as junior high principal with the Prescott School District.
His last coaching job was with the Hope Bobcats where he coached future University of Arkansas Razorback and NFL player McTelvin “Sosa” Agim.
Turley said his time in administration has given him a different outlook on student-athletes, and he plans to bring that positive logic to the football field.
“Being a principal has given me a whole different perspective on the student-athlete where academics are even more important than athletics,” Turley told The Nashville News-Leader last week.
“I want to mentor young men and women to be the very best they can be – both on the playing field and in the classroom.”
Turley credits Prescott Superintendent Robert Poole for teaching him about the “overall picture” of the educational process and “for molding me into a better version of myself.”
The former Nashville High School Scrapper football standout (class of 1990) was chosen from a field of 16 applicants which included Todd Scott, Jonathan Bennett, Trenton Coffman, Dalton Pearson, Dylan Teague, Ashdone Bailey, Paydon Harlow, Tyler Clift, Chad Arnold, Mark King, David Jordan, Caleb Loe, Richard Strickland, Jayden Southard and Jason Hathcock.
Superintendent Tanya Wilcher said that, along with Turley, interviews were conducted with Harlow, Arnold and Hathcock. Wilcher added that interviews were set up for King and Strickland, but they pulled their names from consideration before interviews could be conducted.
Turley and wife, Monica, recently relocated from Hope to Murfreesboro, which he has always called home.
“Murfreesboro is home to me and has been my most memorable coaching stop,” he said. “Both of my kids and my brother and sister graduated from here. It is a football town and the expectations are high, and I want to be somewhere expectations are high.”
Turley has already set a high bar for the next Rattler season.
“I think we can get over the hump and win a state championship. That’s the goal.”
During his time as a student-athlete at Nashville, Turley was a standout on the football and baseball fields and earned All-State and All-District status in both sports. He was a four-year letterman and co-captain of the Scrapper football team.
He attended Ouachita Baptist University where he started as tailback on the Tiger football team, and received a degree in secondary education with a minor in physical and health education. At OBU, he earned All-AIC status and was named to the first team in 1992 and 1993.
After college, Turley went into the insurance business and owned and operated his own agency in Pine Bluff.
It was a call from a local coaching legend that got Turley into coaching. Gary Segrest was heading up the athletic program at the Hot Springs Lakeside School District at the time and needed a coach. Turley was hired there as junior high teacher and coach in 1996.
In 2001, Turley moved on to the Denison Independent School District in Texas, where he was a secondary coach and co-defensive coordinator for the junior varsity team.
His last coaching stop before his first job with the Rattlers was as head coach of the Fouke Panthers.
Turley’s hiring was approved by unanimous vote during a short special meeting of the South Pike County School District held on Monday, Dec. 23.
