In an area rich for girls basketball, two championship-contending coaches said they know how hard it is to achieve the level of success that Clarkrange Girls Basketball Coach Lamar Rogers achieved over his five decades as head coach.
Upperman Lady Bees Coach Dana McWilliams said she observed the program’s rise to prominence while she was a middle school student and later faced Rogers as both a high school player and an opposing coach. The Clarkrange program became a standard for success in Tennessee high school basketball during the five decades Rogers spent on the sideline.
“Maybe when I was maybe in middle school is when they won won several championships in a row, so obviously as a kid growing up who loved basketball, he he was someone- he and his program was someone that- that I admired a lot growing up,” McWilliams said.
McWilliams said Rogers demonstrated a consistent ability to prepare his teams and maximize the talent of his players regardless of the roster. Facing a Rogers-led team required a high level of preparation because his squads were always ready for the matchup.
“He’s one of those coaches, you know, he always finds a way whatever talent he has, he- he finds a way to be successful and puts his players in the best positions to be successful and that- that’s something, you know, every time you- you play a team coached by Lamar Rogers, you know that, you know, you’re going to have to make sure that you’re very prepared because he’s most definitely going to be prepared,” McWilliams said.
McWilliams said the longevity of Rogers provided a rare sense of steadiness for the Clarkrange players and the surrounding community. Rogers remained successful over several decades because he was willing to adapt his coaching style as the game changed.
“He’s been there for such a long time, the kids know what to expect, the community knows what to expect, and their expectations are high and they’ve got, you know, great community support as well and so, you know, I think just- just him at every- every year, you know, me looking back as when he was- when I was a player and then as- as I got older and coached against him and just, you know, followed him through his career, he’s been successful, you know, year after year,” McWilliams said. “It’s- he changes and been willing to adapt and does- does a great job.”
McWilliams said Rogers was a demanding leader who earned respect through his knowledge of the game rather than through an aggressive or loud demeanor. She said she does not recall Rogers ever being the type of coach who yelled or screamed at his players on the sideline.
“Seems like he lets them play, he’s demanding in other ways it seems like other than having to- he’s not one of those in-your-face type coaches, but you can tell that they have tons of respect for him and his knowledge and what he can bring to them,” McWilliams said. “So, you know, I don’t think he- he’s one that, you know, a lot of times the older coaches, you know, that- that seemed to be the pattern that it was a lot of yelling and screaming and it doesn’t seem like from what I could see that that was really ever his personality.”
White County High School Head Girls’ Basketball Coach Michael Dodgen said the departure marks the end of an era for a coach who became an icon of the sport. Rogers spent over 50 years building the program into a perennial powerhouse that competed at an elite level across the state of Tennessee.
“He just did a lot of things for the game of girls’ basketball you know from the early stages all the way up till present now,” Dodgen said, “And he’s just one of those icons of women’s basketball, especially not only in the state of Tennessee but nationwide.”
Dodgen said Rogers maintained a high level of preparation that made his teams difficult to scout or defeat. The unique environment of the Clarkrange gymnasium combined with the legacy Rogers built there created a significant home-court advantage.
“If you knew that you were going up to Clarkrange to play, you knew it was going to be a battle,” Dodgen said. “And you knew it was going to be a situation where you were in a unique gymnasium.”
The coaching style of Rogers involved constant defensive adjustments and a focus on strong post play. Dodgen said Rogers would frequently switch between a match-up zone and man-to-man defense to challenge opposing offenses.
“He did all the little things right to make his team better and prepared them and had them ready to play from the tip to the final buzzer,” Dodgen said. “He’s had a huge impact on the town and community of Clarkrange and you know, that’s going to be hard to match for whoever tries to go in and replace him.”
Rogers began his career during the era of six-on-six basketball and successfully transitioned the program through the move to the modern five-on-five game. Dodgen said the longevity of the program’s success is a direct result of the foundation Rogers established starting in the 1970s.
“He’s one of the founding members of it,” Dodgen said. “You know, he started with six-on-six, he’s ended with five-on-five, started with championships, and you know, he’s won championships all throughout his career.”
Beyond the wins and losses, Dodgen said Rogers was known for his humility and the personal support he offered to other coaches and his own family. Rogers was among the first to reach out with a message of support when White County reached the championship game this past season.
“He never really, really thought that he was ever better than anybody else,” Dodgen said. “He just, you know, treated you like an everyday person, and those are things that you respect out of people that have had a lot of success is I guess they just don’t feel like that they’re better than you.”