Richard Gatewood, who led the Taylor County High School boys basketball team to Fifth Region titles each of the past two seasons, has been named the head coach at 22 Feet Academy.
The program in Greenville, South Carolina, is partnered with Shannon Forest Christian School and has become one of the nation’s top prep schools for basketball players. The 2015-16 squad featured a pair of Kentuckians in Eli Wright (Mississippi State signee) and Justin Miller (Louisiana-Lafayette signee).
“This is a great opportunity for me and my family, and I always tell our guys priorities start in this order: faith, family, education and then basketball,” Gatewood said in a news release. “With that in mind, our family cannot pass up this opportunity and I truly believe this is the next step in my career that will open up endless opportunities.”
Gatewood is a 2003 graduate of Western High School, where he played basketball and golf. After serving as an assistant at Western, Butler, Jeffersontown and Moore, he was named the head coach at Moore during the 2012-13 season. The Mustangs went 23-8, and Gatewood was named Sixth Region Coach of the Year.
In three seasons at Taylor County, Gatewood posted a 79-21 record. Last season’s team went 25-9 and fell to Doss in the quarterfinals of the state tournament.
“It’s very hard for me to leave Taylor County because I work for the best administration in the state as well as coaching for the best fan base and community in the state,” Gatewood said. “The kids I’ve had the pleasure to coach, the list is too long to name everyone, are what I will miss most about coaching at (Taylor County). I have no doubt that (Taylor County) will get the right guy for the job and keep the train moving forward.”