Rhys van Haaften and Hannah Moore
2 days ago
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — Darrell Keith is no longer the head football coach at Clinton High School, Keith told WATE.
Keith led the Dragons to the Class 5A quarterfinals in 2023, Clinton's first quarterfinal appearance since 1992.
“It is an honor for me to coach some of the most amazing kids in the world. It is so gratifying to see young people find purpose in life through sports. I am a man of faith and my life is lived under the guidance of the Bible. Lying is not part of my nature,” Keith told WATE.
Clinton lost six of her first eight games before going on a four-game winning streak. The Dragons defeated McMinn County and Oak Ridge in the playoffs. Clinton's run ended with a 24-20 loss to Walker Valley.
“Coach Keith's contract as a teacher and coach was not renewed for the 24-25 school year,” Ryan Sutton told WATE.
Keith was named in the grade-fixing investigation that led to the firing of two teachers, Rachel Jones and Clay Turpin, and the resignation of Principal Dan Jenkins in April 2024.
Jones told investigators that Keith came into her room, showed her a transcript with certain grade points on it and said she needed to “replace the grades.” After speaking with Jenkins, the investigation alleges that Jones enrolled the student in what was essentially a credit recovery course to replace the grades.
On Wednesday, Keith released the following statement to WATE:
“I have never pressured or threatened anyone to change their grades. It is neither my authority nor my responsibility to do so.”
I asked a young man who joined our school community with an “F” grade, and with the school's “credit recovery” program, his grade could be raised to a “D.” I do not have the ability to do this, it is under the control of others.
As a person of color, I am honored to be a part of the lives of so many children and their families. Thank you very much for the many messages and calls of support.
I can lose my position as a coach, but I cannot lose my reputation as a Christian. I want this to be very clear.
I did not force anyone to break the rules. The root of this sad situation is that I overstepped my bounds. This unfortunate situation has something to do with my race or religion.
I have enjoyed helping these young people find their faith. My faith is a part of who I am and I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ.
I hope this situation is resolved peacefully. I will not walk away quietly and by doing so I will be sinning by my silence. It's not just my name. It's the name of the Lord. I ask for your prayers, I am held in His hands.
The incident resulted in Clinton High School being fined $250 by the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association for allowing ineligible players to play in 13 varsity football games. The school will also forfeit any wins from games in which the student participated.
According to the TSSAA, the school informed the students on the team that they did not earn the required number of credits to be eligible to compete.
Keith was hired as Clinton's head coach in December 2019.
Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional information.
