CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – Brian Rush served 20 years as the head coach for Clarksville High School girls’ basketball. Over that time, he won over 400 games, captured several district and region titles, and had a few state tournament appearances along the way. However, he told Clarksville Now that he won’t remember those accolades as much as the connections he’s made with his players.
“What you remember most is all the players that come through,” Rush said. “The wins and losses you forget, but the bond you form is forever. You get to watch a bunch of kids grow up, learn to play together and for each other, and then get to see them grow into great women. That’s what means the most to me.”
When Rush first arrived at Clarksville High in 2005, the program was used to playing a zone style defense. Rush quickly made the adjustment to man, but not without growing pains. All these years later, hard-nosed, physical, man-to-man defense has become a staple of Clarksville High’s girls’ basketball culture.
“When I first got here, all they had ever played was zone their whole careers,” said Rush. “When I walked into the program and changed it, it was difficult, they just weren’t used to it. Watching them adjust and learn over the coming years was something special.”
Several impactful players have come through the Wildcats program during Rush’s time. Just to name a few, you could look at Malon Smith, Hailey Bearden, Chandler Cooper, Tatiana Outlaw, and obviously the two McDonald’s All-Americans, Bashaara Graves and Imari Berry. Those players played a part in Rush’s 422 wins, nine district titles, five regional titles and six state tournament appearances. Rush has done several things during his coaching career, but the one thing that’s remained consistent is being a winner.
“Coaching Bashaara, you think that’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity as a coach to coach a player of her caliber,” said Rush. “Then, Imari came through and I got to experience that twice, and for that I’m very grateful. We’ve had so many teams that have made runs and so many special players, I’m just glad I got to be along for the ride.”
Meanwhile, another one of Rush’s most impactful players has been chosen to be his successor. Ellie Treanton was named the new Clarksville High girls’ basketball coach on May 27.
Treanton played for the Wildcats from 2014-18, earning three all-district selections and the Region 5-3A MVP. She then went on to play for Sewanee University, where she averaged 12 points a contest over her four-year career as a Tiger. Now, after spending a year each at Rossview, Kirkwood and Clarksville High as an assistant coach, she’s taking over for her old head coach at CHS.
“Coach Rush is an amazing coach who helped me become a better player and a better person outside of basketball,” Treanton told Clarksville Now. “He truly wants the best for all of his players, and that doesn’t stop when they leave high school. Coach Rush supported and cheered me on all throughout college and supported me throughout different coaching endeavors. We’ve stayed in contact since I graduated from CHS, and coaching alongside him is something I’ll never forget. He gave me space to grow and learn as a coach myself, and I couldn’t have asked for anything better. I am very grateful to him for all of his mentorship throughout the years, and I know he is still only a phone call away. I am confident he’ll be cheering me on no matter what.”
Now, Rush steps away from the hardwood to focus on coaching the Wildcats softball team. It’s an astounding feat in its own right to not only coach two sports but have both programs compete at an exceptional level, with both squads making state tournament appearances over the years, including the Lady Cats softball team earning TSSAA state runner-up in 2022. While Rush admits he will miss his time on the court, he’s excited to hand it off to one of his former point guards.
“This decision wasn’t easy at all; there were so many things that went into it,” said Rush. “I’ve been truly blessed to have admins who have let me coach two major sports and have had the successful seasons we’ve had. It came down to, as a coach, it’s hard to ask my softball team to be all in while I’m coaching basketball. What made the decision easier is being able to hand the program over to Ellie, who exemplifies what our program is about. It’s been an incredible ride, and while it’s tough to give it up, the program is in great hands.”
Correction: Hailey Bearden’s last name was misspelled in an earlier version of this report.
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