As a basketball coach, Corey Bishop knows the value of a good scouting report.
So when John Wild told Bishop the Santa Fe girls position was a good situation, Bishop took heed.
“I have a lot of respect for Coach Wild. He was one of the reasons I wanted the job,” Bishop said this week after he was announced as the successor to Wild, a Basketball Coaches Association of Tennessee Hall of Famer who stepped down last month after one season at the Lady Wildcats’ helm.
“I knew he had it last year. I knew he did a good job in his year there. He said he thought it was a fantastic place to work, a lot of hardworking kids. “He thought if I come in there with a great mindset, it’s one of the best jobs in Middle Tennessee, in his opinion.”
Santa Fe principal Randy Hubbell cited Bishop’s enthusiasm as a factor in the decision to tab the 31-year-old.
“We went through several applications and had some good applicants. The interview committee decided he was best for the future of the program,” Hubbell said. “He’s a young, energetic guy. I think he’s going to be good for the program.
Currently a physical education teacher at Nolensville Elementary, Bishop previously coached the boys and girls teams at Forrest – his alma mater – and the girls at Community prior to that.
“Being from a small town (Chapel Hill), growing up in a small town, and having the opportunity to go back to my roots to coach at a small school, having that familiarity (was appealing),” Bishop said. “Community and Forrest are both pretty small schools, too, so just having that chance to get back in that small-school setting. Also having the opportunity to work for Mr. Hubbell, who I’ve known throughout my life, is an appealing part of the job, too.”
Bishop resigned at Forrest – where his Santa Fe predecessor will be coaching next season – following the 2020-21 school year, calling it a “family decision” to step back.
“I got out of it because my wife and I had two young children,” he said. “We’ve got a 4-year-old girl and a 2-year-old boy. “We feel like they’re at an age now where they can go to games, so it’s perfect timing to try to look to get back in.”
Under Wild, Santa Fe posted an 11-17 record in 2023-24, advancing to the Region 5-1A tournament quarterfinals. The 11 victories were the most by the program since the 2016-17 Lady Wildcats finished 14-12.
Hubbell also announced that longtime Santa Fe faculty member Amy Parks will serve as an assistant under Bishop. David Parks, Amy’s husband, will replace Wild as co-athletics director as he transfers from Culleoka to work alongside Shabahn Massey in that role.
