KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee head coach and director of track & field Duane Ross announced the hiring of Devin West as a recruiting coordinator and assistant coach in the fall of 2024.
West comes to Knoxville with more than 15 years of experience coaching at the collegiate level. He most recently served as an assistant coach at UCLA during the 2023-24 campaign after two seasons coaching sprints and hurdles with the University of Georgia men’s and women’s track programs.
West was named an assistant coach for sprints and hurdles at Georgia in July 2021 by Director of Track and Field Caryl Smith Gilbert, giving West a second stint with the Bulldogs. While in The Peach State, West helped coach Elija Godwin to national championships at the 2023 NCAA Indoor meet; Godwin also earned a gold and bronze medal at the 2022 World Athletics Track and Field Championships, as well as his first SEC individual championship in the 400m at the 2023 indoor conference meet with West’s guidance.
West, a native of Berkeley, Calif., also spent 2015-17 at Georgia as the recruiting coordinator and sprints assistant and arrived back in Athens during the 2021 summer after overseeing the sprints and hurdles program at Air Force for the 2020-21 academic year. Starting his collegiate athletic career on both the football and track teams at St. Mary’s College and then graduating from in-state Kennesaw State University, West has both recruited and coached some of the country’s best during stints at several Power 5 programs. He has signed and instructed a variety of Olympians, All-Americans, NCAA champions, conference champions and school record holders during his stops at Texas, Florida State, Arizona State, Miami, Texas Tech and others.
West guided Michelle Roca to an Academy record of 1:00.01 in the 400-meter hurdles. In fact, Air Force completed 2021 with 11 improvements to the school’s all-time record books in the sprints, hurdles and relays. West returned to the Academy coaching staff in August 2020 to begin his second stint as an assistant coach for the Falcons. West, who previously served as an assistant coach on the Falcons’ 2010-11 staff, brought a wealth of experience back to the Air Force sprints and hurdles program, following coaching stints at several Power 5 programs.
Air Force thrived under West during his first stop in 2010-11. The men’s 4x400m indoor relay of Manny Smith, Anthony Delgado, Cory Engel and Chris Severino bought home the program’s first-ever Mountain West title in that event, while Bryce Bergman accounted for the Academy’s first conference championship in the 400m hurdles. Under his guidance, the Falcons also claimed four all-Mountain West accolades and made seven improvements to the Academy’s all-time standings, including 400m hurdle times by Emily Cotharn and Rachel Thomas that were previously the two fastest marks in program history.
Throughout his 16-year career, West has assisted with the coaching of six Olympians, 54 All-Americans, three NCAA champions, 41 conference champions and more than 70 school record-holders.
After leaving the Academy in 2011, West gained experience at several of the nation’s major Power 5 programs, where he developed a reputation as one of the best recruiters in the sport. He signed five No. 1-ranked U.S. High School student-athletes and three No. 1-ranked World Junior student-athletes, while also accounting for four Top-10 recruiting classes (Georgia, Texas Tech, Miami and Florida State).
During his stint at Texas, West assisted head coach Edrick Floreal in coaching the men’s and women’s sprints and hurdles program – a group that included two program record holders (Jonathon Jones in the 400m, Micaiah Harris in the 200m) and 10 All-Americans. He also saw both the men and women place within the top 10 of the 2019 NCAA Outdoor Championships and the women’s team sweep the indoor and outdoor titles at the Big 12 Championships that year. In addition, West also assisted Floreal in coaching the 2019 USA Track and Field 100m champion, Teahna Daniels.
Prior to his time in Austin, West served as an associate head coach at Arizona State University in 2018. During his stop with the Sun Devils, he helped Alethia Marrero run the second-fastest 800m time in ASU history, finish second at the PAC-12 Championships and earn second-team All-America honors. With West on the staff, Arizona State’s women finished the year ranked No. 12 in the USTFCCCA Top 25 and had a ninth-place finish at the NCAA Outdoor Championships.
As previously mentioned, West spent two years as the recruiting coordinator and sprints coach for the Bulldogs (2015-17), where he was part of some of the most successful seasons for the women in school history. The Bulldogs finished a program-best second at the both the indoor and outdoor championships in 2017, after finishing third at both meets during his first season. He also assisted in the coaching of breakout sophomore Kendal Williams, who earned first-team All-America honors in the 60m, and oversaw a men’s sprint squad that tallied more than one-third of Georgia’s point total at the SEC Outdoor Championships.
West also spent time on the coaching staffs at Texas Tech University (2014-15), the University of Miami (2013-14) and Florida State University (2011-13).
During his one season with the Red Raiders, he helped the men finish second at the Big 12 Championships and ninth at the NCAA Outdoor Championships, while the women finished third at the conference meet and earned a top-20 finish at the national meet. While at Miami, West coached the men’s 4x100m relay to its first regional appearance in four years and helped Artie Burns (currently with the Chicago Bears) win the ACC title and claim second-team All-America honors in the 60m hurdles. In his time with the Seminoles, he assisted the men’s 4x100m relay team to All-America honors and helped Dentarius Locke and James Harris claim berths to the NCAA Championships.
West got his collegiate coaching start at Kennesaw State in 2007, and was a catalyst for the Owls’ dominant run that included four Atlantic Sun Conference titles.
His accomplishments in the college ranks make up just some of the successes of his coaching career. West made a name for himself on the high school and international levels as well, coaching nine Georgia state meet finalists while working as an assistant at Norcross High School. He also sent an athlete to the IAAF World Junior Championships in the 100m hurdles in 2010, while coaching a 100m athlete to the USTF Junior Championships in 2009.
After competing for a pair of teams at St. Mary’s College, he transferred to Morehouse College in Atlanta. West received his degree in interdisciplinary studies from Kennesaw State, while coaching the Owls in 2010. He is also certified as a Level I coach with USA Track and Field.
Fox news reporting the suspect in the Kentucky I-75 mass shooting sent this disturbing text “I’m going to kill a lot of people” shortly before Saturday’s attack that wounded five people. The manhunt for 32-year-old Joseph Couch, who served in the Army Reserve for over five years, is entering its fourth day.
He also sent another message that read, “I’ll kill myself afterwards.”
Officials say their goal is to “apply steady pressure at wearing Mr. Couch down” as they continue their search in and around the Daniel Boone National Forest.
Couch faces 5 counts of attempted murder and 5 counts of first-degree assault. There’s a $15,000 collective reward for information that leads to his arrest.
All five victims who were seriously wounded are expected to recover.
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Tennessee volleyball’s Paityn Chapman and Caroline Kerr garnered SEC honors after helping the Lady Vols post back-to-back straight-set wins last week, the league office announced Monday afternoon.
Kerr earned SEC Player and Setter of the Week accolades, while Chapman received SEC Freshman of the Week accolades. For her career, Kerr now boasts 13 weekly conference honors after garnering 11 recognitions last season. This marks the third time she earned both SEC Player of the Week and SEC Setter of the Week honors.
The duo led Tennessee to a pair of sweeps against No. 25 UCLA and LIU last week. The Lady Vols jumped out to a hot start against the Bruins and never looked back the whole weekend. Against the Sharks, the Big Orange defense held LIU to just 15 kills and -.052 hitting. It marked the fewest kills allowed by the Lady Vols in a match in more than a decade (12 by Tennessee Tech on 8/29/14) and was the lowest hitting percentage allowed since Marshall hit for -.054 on Sept. 15, 2017.
A native of Champaign, Illinois, Kerr recorded 73 assists, 14 digs, four aces, three kills and three blocks for the week. She helped the Big Orange offense hit .368 and 51 percent of her sets led to kills for the Lady Vols. The redshirt sophomore setter ranked second in the league for the week in assists per set (12.17) and was third in aces per set (0.67).
Kerr’s top performance came against the Bruins, as she posted an all-around effort with 38 assists, eight digs, three blocks, two kills and an ace. Against the Sharks, she ended with 35 assists, six digs and a team-high three aces.
A native of Castle Rock, Colorado, Chapman had 16 kills on .314 hitting, seven digs, six blocks and one ace combined during the Lady Vols’ straight-set wins against 25-ranked UCLA and LIU. Her most notable performance of the week came against the Bruins, when she tallied 11 kills on .333 hitting, five digs, one ace and one solo block. She opened the match with the hot hand, scoring three of the first five points for the Big Orange and finishing with six kills in the opening set to swing the momentum in favor of the Lady Vols early.
Against LIU, Chapman posted a season-best five blocks to go along with five kills and two digs. For the week, she averaged 3.42 points, 2.67 kills, 1.17 digs and 1.00 blocks per set.
Up next, the Lady Vols take on Western Kentucky on the road Tuesday evening at 7 p.m. ET. That match will be streamed on ESPN+.
CHARLESTON, S.C. – Tennessee women’s golfer Bailey Davis sits inside the top 15 after two rounds at the Cougar Classic as the Lady Vols are in 12th.
Davis opened her senior campaign with a 1-under 70 in round one and kept her momentum going into round two with an even-par 71. The senior enters the final round tied for 14th.
Sophie Christopher opened her freshman campaign with a 74 and recovered in round two with an even-par 71. The Germantown, Tennessee, native sits 3-over ahead of day two and is two shots outside the top 25.
Freshman Kyra Van Kan opened the tournament with a 76 and turned it around in her second 18 holes, firing a 1-under 70. She is tied for 40th going into Tuesday’s round.
Leighton Shosted shot a 75 in round one and 76 in round two. The Mesa, Arizona, native enters the final round tied for 69th.
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – A rematch of last season’s NCAA Tournament Round of 32 contest, the 16th-ranked Tennessee Lady Vols and Western Kentucky Hilltoppers face off at 7 p.m. ET on Tuesday night at E.A. Diddle Arena.
The Big Orange (2-2) swept WKU (4-2) in the December matchup, ending Western Kentucky’s 25-match win streak. Both teams lost an All-American outside hitter, but unlike Tennessee, the Hilltoppers return five starters from last year’s squad that finished with 30 total wins and were champions of Conference USA.
Tennessee is coming off straight-set wins against No. 25 UCLA and LIU. Redshirt sophomore Caroline Kerr garnered SEC Player and Setter of the Week honors after recording 73 assists, 14 digs, four aces, three kills and three blocks in the two outings. She helped the Big Orange offense hit .368 for the week and 51 percent of her sets led to kills for the Lady Vols. Kerr ranked second in the league for the week in assists per set (12.17) and was third in aces per set (0.67).
Outside hitter Paityn Chapman garnered SEC Freshman of the Week accolades as well, tallying 16 kills on .314 hitting, seven digs, six blocks and one ace. Against the Bruins, she posted 11 kills on .333 hitting, five digs, one ace and one solo block. She opened the match with the hot hand, scoring three of the first five points for the Big Orange and finishing with six kills in the opening set to swing the momentum in favor of the Lady Vols early. Against LIU, Chapman finished with five kills and a personal-best five blocks.
Western Kentucky is coming off a three-match weekend that saw them go 2-1. They opened things with a sweep against Marist before falling in four sets to Michigan State. The Hilltoppers bounced back with a victory against Loyola-Chicago in four sets. Their only other loss on the year came at the hands of ninth-ranked Kentucky in four sets.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Coming off the ninth ranked win of the Josh Heupel era on Saturday against NC State, No. 7/9 Tennessee will look to continue to improve in all areas as it welcomes Kent State to Neyland Stadium this weekend.
The 51-10 win over the 24th-ranked Wolfpack marked the largest margin of victory for the Vols against any AP ranked team since defeating No. 9 Florida 45-3 on Oct. 13, 1990, and was the third-highest in program history.
Physicality in the trenches on both sides of the ball were the major story from Saturday’s win as the Big Orange rushed for 249 yards while the defense racked up 13 tackles for loss and stifled NC State all night long.
“You look at our ability to run the football since we have been here, statistically over the last decade we have always run the ball really efficiently and effectively,” Heupel said on Monday. “We have balance, and we do create big plays in the pass game, but we create those things in the run game too. I was proud of the physicality we played with on the offensive line and our tight ends and running backs played that way too.
“Same thing on the other side of the football, you look at the way our front seven played at the line of scrimmage and that was a big part of the football game.”
Statistically, Saturday was one of the best defensive performances of the Heupel era as the Vols held the Wolfpack to just 143 yards of total offense, which is the fewest yards allowed during defensive coordinator Tim Banks‘ tenure.
UT’s 39 rushing yards allowed marked the 19th time it has surrendered less than 100 yards under Banks. Dating back to 2022, the Vols have won their last 13 games when holding an opponent under 100 yards rushing.
“Tim has done an unbelievable job. That’s been from day one of being here, building camaraderie, trust, chemistry on that side of the football,” Heupel said about his fourth-year defensive coordinator.
“The understanding of our scheme, the fundamentals of it, that’s a credit to our players and our coaches. We’re playing really good football right now. As a competitor, you are only as good as our next one. Saturday night, that’s our next test. I do love how physical and how fast we’re playing, and we have to continue to grow. Good teams and good defenses continue to get better. There are plenty of opportunities for us to be better in what we have done up until this point.”
Coverage of this Saturday’s contest will begin at 7:45 p.m. on the SEC Network.
Opening statement… “Good afternoon, it’s good to be back in the building with the guys. An opportunity to watch film, grow, and learn how we can get better. Good teams continue to get better throughout the course of the season. The challenge for us is to prepare and practice the right way so that we can go play our best football on Saturday. Looking forward to being back in Neyland, seeing our fans and having the opportunity to kick off again with this group.”
On being aggressive on offense with a young quarterback (Nico Iamaleava)… “His body language, demeanor and composure leads you to believe that he’s going to go play the next play independently. We don’t want to turn the ball over, would like a couple of those back, but one thing we learned about him is how he is going to respond to something that doesn’t go positive or doesn’t go his way and he came back and played the next play independently and played it like the first play of the game.”
On having a win where the rush offense and defense lead the way despite offensive critics… “That’s laughable to me, to be honest. You look at our ability to run the football since we have been here, statistically over the last decade we have always run the ball really efficiently and effectively. We have balance and we do create big plays in the pass game but we create those things in the run game too. I was proud of the physicality we played with on the offensive line and our tight ends and running backs played that way too. Same thing on the other side of the football, you look at the way our front seven played at the line of scrimmage and that was a big part of the football game.
On cleaning up personal foul penalties… “You have got to play smart football and you can’t do things that hurt yourself. Keenan (Keenan Pili) wasn’t trying to be egregious on his, he thought the running back was still coming at him. We got to be smart, you know special teams the first couple of weeks got a couple penalties. Can’t change the field position game and we have got to continue to grow in that area.”
On how to balance the player/coach and inner kid excitement on the field… “I am still a kid at heart. You have got to enjoy it. This game is hard, they got good coaches and scholarships too. Every Saturday you look at scores across America and every Saturday it unfolds differently. That is why you have got to prepare and practice the same way and be consistent in that and be an elite competitor everyday not just on game day. We talked about that inside of our team room today, but man, if you are not going to enjoy the opportunities that you get and if you are successful then I think you are missing the boat. We try to have fun inside of our building, after a game or in the locker room but it’s also every day. We should be enjoying what we are doing and who we are doing with and we do inside this building.”
What is his opinion of the defense that changes your play call from play to play… “Every Saturday is going to unfold differently, from the structure that you are seeing from the opponent in all three phases of the game, to how the game unfolds. You try to be smart and aggressive in everything that we do. We want to play with an aggressive mentality, I want our coaches to call it aggressive, let our players go make plays, put them in the position to make plays. You have to play extremely smart in situational football too. Two-minute drive at the end of the half, when we are in a position to get it going, we have a penalty. Tried to play some smart football there at the end and make sure we got points knowing we were getting the ball coming out in the second half as well.”
On the element the use of tight ends brings to the offense during a game by allowing flexibility… “For us, historically at points in our career, we have been able to do that because of the depth of the room. With everything that we faced when we first got here, scholarship reductions, we try to be smart and build for our future, protecting the current roster. We haven’t had the luxury to do that, now those things for us that we have been working on through spring ball and training camp. Our guys went out and executed and played in a really good way.”
On how his expectation of the defense has changed over the past two games and how Tim Banks has played a role in this… “First of all, Tim (Banks) has done an unbelievable job. That’s really from day one of being here, building camaraderie, trust, chemistry on that side of the football. All of our assistant coaches in our position room, as we have continued to build our roster then we are able to play more guys which is important. The understanding of our scheme, the fundamentals of it, that’s a credit to our players and our coaches. We’re playing really good football right now. As a competitor, you are only as good as our next one. Saturday night, that’s our next test. I do love how physical and how fast we’re playing and we have to continue to grow. Good teams and good defenses continue to get better. There are plenty of opportunities for us to be better in what we have done up until this point.”
On where the unselfishness of the team comes from… “At the end of the day it comes from your leadership inside your position rooms. Guys being selfless knowing that it is important to celebrate the guys around you and you pour into them. When new guys come into the building and those guys showing them what it looks like to be a Volunteer and what it looks like to be a player inside of this building. They help them grow as players, out on the practice field you see players coaching up their teammates as much as you see coaches doing it. It’s awesome to see the energy, comradery, chemistry, and excitement that they have for the other guys in the position room.”
On what he has seen from James Pearce Jr the first few games and what teams are doing to slow him down… “He’s played really well. He’s applied pressure to the quarterback and hasn’t got home, but he’s been disruptive. He’s done a really good job in the run game. The other night, he does a great job as a dropper in some of our pressure packages, matching out the skill personnel out in space, so he’s played really well. In this game, man you just keep plugging away and stats are stats. At the end of day, it’s about wins and losses and continuing to execute your assignment.
On what he expects from Kent State and the challenges they will cause… “For us defensively, heavy mix of zone, inside outside zone and a lot of window dressing with motions, shifts and trade. We have to do a great job of being gap sound and communicate at a high level. Offensively, multiple in their coverages and a lot of pressure, so we have to do a great job of identification, that’s in run games, pass pro and protecting the quarterback when we are dropping back. We have to win some one on ones.
On what encouraged him about Nico responding well against the pressure against NC State… “We can be better at points within our technique, wasn’t true misidentification. We have to be a little bit better within our fundamentals and technique at times, and that’s everybody, its running back, the offensive line and our tight ends were involved in it as well. Couple of times he has a little deep in the pocket too, which applies pressure to the tackles. It’s all eleven operating as one. I made that point to our offense this morning, and that’s in everything we are doing.”
On how hard it is getting everyone’s attention to get better with the opponent coming in this week… “You can go back and look at the scores from across America each week, and there’s examples of guys that didn’t prepare, didn’t practice right and didn’t have the right competitive spirit to go take advantage of their next opportunity. There’s a lot of work that goes into it. We started in mid-January. You better have the right mindset. There’s very few opportunities and this is our next one. We have to be ready to go take advantage of it. Our players and our coaches, this morning we were able to show them areas we have to get better in, and that started today for us.”
On how Nico is doing with identifying schemes and working through defenses that he faces… “As a first-time starter, he’s done an elite job of understanding our concepts and getting us into a good play if we are not in one and taking advantage of what he is seeing from the second and third level off of those structures. He’s done a really good job as a decision-maker and controlling what we are doing.”
On the defense getting lots of praise following Saturday’s win over NC State… “It feels great for us to get that recognition. I feel like we’ve been one of the better units or defensive teams in the country and what not. It feels good, but we have just got to keep working and continue to get better and turn whatever they are talking about now into elite status. There is always room for improvement.”
On the mentality that comes with rotating a lot on the defensive line… “I don’t feel like it’s a sacrifice at all because a lot of guys in that room could not be in that room and be playing at other places and thriving. It’s really a blessing for us to have that many guys that can play on the elite level. Like I said earlier, there’s no drop off. Me personally, I feel like it’s a great thing because you don’t want to be out there dog tired. We’re human. We’re football players, we’re going to get tired in the trenches, so I think it’s a great thing that we can split reps and still execute and still be elite and create havoc in the backfield with a lot of guys.”
On if Jaxson Moi has surprised him with how effective he’s been… “He doesn’t surprise me at all. I’ve seen him go to work since the spring and all of fall camp. He’s helped me with some things on my game. I’ve taken some stuff from his game to add to mine, so I’m not surprised at all. Jaxson’s a dog. He works real hard. He’s very polite, very down to earth but when you put the hammer down in between them lines he is a whole different person. (His) whole mentality changes, so I’m surprised at all from Jaxson.”
On the success of the 12 personnel package against NC State… “I think it was successful just because it allowed us to create a lot of different mismatch problems for the NC State defense. Particularly me and (Miles Kitselman), going into that game we knew we would be heavily used in the run game and just create seams for our backs. We took pride in that going into the game and just wanted to be the guys that opened up the run and allowed us to throw the ball downfield as a result of that. So, going in that was the game plan. I feel like we did it really well. I was happy with the way I played, just throwing my hat in there and being physical and helping the team ultimately get a win.”
On if the 12 personnel could be used at any time again this season… “Yeah for sure. I think we definitely have the talent in the room to do it. That’s one thing me, Ethan Davis and Miles Kitselman always talk about, just being on the field at the same time, just creating a lot of problems for the defense. So, that is one thing the coaches have talked about and just knowing that we’re capable of doing it, they put a lot on our plate last week. Obviously, we don’t play in 12 a lot, so there are some new things we had to learn but we took it as a challenge and we were excited about it, and I think the result of that was playing well on Saturday, so we’re happy with it.”
On the mindset the tight ends have when defenses drop a lot of players into coverage and present opportunities to run the ball… “Going into the game we knew with NC State’s defense, they’re three down front (and) that’s what they have the opportunity to do is drop eight in coverage, so we said we’re going to take advantage of that and just run the ball and ultimately make them fit the run, so that was the plan going in. We just wanted to use that as our advantage and be super physical, and as the game wore on you could tell that we were getting after them pretty good and they didn’t want to tackle towards the end of the game and that’s how those big runs opened up, so it definitely helped.”
On his interaction with Nico Iamaleava before his long reception in the game on Saturday… “We watched the film. We have the little tablets over there (on the sideline). We saw (the look we wanted), we went back to it and then we executed.”
On embracing his role as a punt returner… “I embrace it a lot. Getting the ball in my hands, I feel like I can do something with it. On punt returns, you have guys blocking for me. They do a great job of blocking and putting me in positions for me to hit runs.”
On if it is frustrating when a defense drops a lot of defenders into coverage and the wide receivers have to adjust their roles… “It’s not frustrating at all. We have a deep running back room back there. If we need to block, we’ll block. We’ll be physical. When our time comes, our time will come, and we’ll execute.”
NEW ORLEANS – The Manning Award, sponsored by the Allstate Sugar Bowl, announced Monday that Tennessee redshirt freshman Nico Iamaleava is one of eight FBS quarterbacks recognized as Manning Stars of the Week.
College football fans can follow the Manning Award on social media (@ManningAward) or visit allstatesugarbowl.org to vote for what they think was the best performance from this past weekend. When voting closes on Wednesday at 10 a.m. ET, the top vote-getter will be announced as the Manning Award Quarterback of the Week.
Iamaleava, making his third career start, accounted for 276 yards of total offense and three touchdowns to lead Tennessee past No. 24 NC State, 51-10, in Charlotte. Iamaleava finished 16-of-23 for 211 yards and two touchdowns with two picks through the air and added 65 yards rushing on eight carries with a 31-yard touchdown run.
The signal caller from Long Beach, California, defeated a ranked opponent for the second time in three starts, and it was the second time in his career that he has rushed for at least one touchdown and passed for at least one touchdown. In Iamaleava’s three starts at quarterback, Tennessee has outscored its opponents 155-13.
It is Iamaleava’s first Manning Award Star of the Week honor.
In addition to being tabbed Manning Star of the Week, he also picked SEC Freshman of the Week for the second week in a row after Tennessee’s 51-10 victory over No. 24 NC State on Saturday.
UNION COUNTY – An investigation by special agents with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has resulted in the indictment of a Maynardville woman.
In August, at the request of 8th Judicial District Attorney General Jared Effler, TBI agents began investigating allegations of misconduct involving an employee with the Union County Clerk’s Office. During the investigation, agents learned that Whitney Goins (DOB: 9/3/86), while employed at the clerk’s office, fraudulently used a credit card she obtained from a citizen. Goins was terminated from the clerk’s office last month.
On Friday, a Union County Grand Jury returned indictments charging Goins with one count of Fraudulent Use of a Credit Card and one count of Official Misconduct. Today, she was arrested and booked into the Union County Jail on a $2,500 bond.
The charges and allegations referenced in this release are merely accusations of criminal conduct and not evidence. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt and convicted through due process of law.
The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office says an investigation has revealed a juvenile making a threat of possible school shootings that would happen today (Tuesday) is a hoax.
JCSO says Jefferson County Schools administrators and SROs began investigating the threat, which involved a possible school shooting that would happen at two schools in Jefferson County, after it was found on TikTok.
Officials with the School Safety Division and the Tennessee Department of Homeland Security found the post last (Monday) night and revealed that the entire threat was created by a juvenile and deemed a hoax.
The investigation’s findings will now be sent to school administrators and the Attorney General’s Office.
JSCO says Jefferson County Schools and their Office will always take all threats seriously and investigate them to the fullest.
Knoxville, TN (WOKI) The Knox County Sheriff’s Office, along with various other agencies, has responded to Sunnyview Elementary School in East Knox County.
KCSO officials, in a release to media this (Monday) afternoon just before 3:30, say a child told a teacher they thought they saw someone in the woods near the playground.
As a precaution, KCSO dispatched several units to the school and also deployed AirWatch.
Additionally, officials say KPD and THP also sent units to the scene.
At this time, no one has been located. The school was placed on lockdown as a precaution.
According to a representative with KCSO, a child told a teacher they thought they had seen someone in a wooded area near the school’s playground. (Courtesy: WVLT)
Posted on September 10, 2024 by Jim Kelly • 0 Comments
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee head coach and director of track & field Duane Ross announced the hiring of Devin West as a recruiting coordinator and assistant coach in the fall of 2024. West comes to Knoxville with more than 15 years of experience coaching at the collegiate level. He most recently served as an assistant coach at UCLA during the…… Continue Reading
Posted on September 10, 2024 by rcadle • 0 Comments
Fox news reporting the suspect in the Kentucky I-75 mass shooting sent this disturbing text “I’m going to kill a lot of people” shortly before Saturday’s attack that wounded five people. The manhunt for 32-year-old Joseph Couch, who served in the Army Reserve for over five years, is entering its fourth day. He also sent…… Continue Reading
Posted on September 10, 2024 by Jim Kelly • 0 Comments
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Tennessee volleyball’s Paityn Chapman and Caroline Kerr garnered SEC honors after helping the Lady Vols post back-to-back straight-set wins last week, the league office announced Monday afternoon. Kerr earned SEC Player and Setter of the Week accolades, while Chapman received SEC Freshman of the Week accolades. For her career, Kerr now boasts 13 weekly conference honors after garnering…… Continue Reading
Posted on September 10, 2024 by Jim Kelly • 0 Comments
CHARLESTON, S.C. – Tennessee women’s golfer Bailey Davis sits inside the top 15 after two rounds at the Cougar Classic as the Lady Vols are in 12th. Davis opened her senior campaign with a 1-under 70 in round one and kept her momentum going into round two with an even-par 71. The senior enters the final round tied for…… Continue Reading
Posted on September 10, 2024 by Jim Kelly • 0 Comments
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – A rematch of last season’s NCAA Tournament Round of 32 contest, the 16th-ranked Tennessee Lady Vols and Western Kentucky Hilltoppers face off at 7 p.m. ET on Tuesday night at E.A. Diddle Arena. The match will be streamed on ESPN+ and fans can purchase tickets online for $5. The Big Orange (2-2) swept WKU (4-2) in the…… Continue Reading
Posted on September 10, 2024 by Jim Kelly • 0 Comments
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Coming off the ninth ranked win of the Josh Heupel era on Saturday against NC State, No. 7/9 Tennessee will look to continue to improve in all areas as it welcomes Kent State to Neyland Stadium this weekend. The 51-10 win over the 24th-ranked Wolfpack marked the largest margin of victory for the Vols against…… Continue Reading
Posted on September 10, 2024 by Jim Kelly • 0 Comments
NEW ORLEANS – The Manning Award, sponsored by the Allstate Sugar Bowl, announced Monday that Tennessee redshirt freshman Nico Iamaleava is one of eight FBS quarterbacks recognized as Manning Stars of the Week. College football fans can follow the Manning Award on social media (@ManningAward) or visit allstatesugarbowl.org to vote for what they think was the best performance from…… Continue Reading
Posted on September 9, 2024 by rcadle • 0 Comments
UNION COUNTY – An investigation by special agents with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has resulted in the indictment of a Maynardville woman. In August, at the request of 8th Judicial District Attorney General Jared Effler, TBI agents began investigating allegations of misconduct involving an employee with the Union County Clerk’s Office. During the investigation,…… Continue Reading
Posted on September 9, 2024 by rcadle • 0 Comments
The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office says an investigation has revealed a juvenile making a threat of possible school shootings that would happen today (Tuesday) is a hoax. JCSO says Jefferson County Schools administrators and SROs began investigating the threat, which involved a possible school shooting that would happen at two schools in Jefferson County, after…… Continue Reading
Posted on September 9, 2024 by rtravers • 0 Comments
Knoxville, TN (WOKI) The Knox County Sheriff’s Office, along with various other agencies, has responded to Sunnyview Elementary School in East Knox County. KCSO officials, in a release to media this (Monday) afternoon just before 3:30, say a child told a teacher they thought they saw someone in the woods near the playground. As a…… Continue Reading
