Seth Coy signs with East Tennessee State

By Mike Myers, Sports Writer

Seth Coy, Washington’s 6-11 center who was such an integral part of the Hatchets’ 2008 Class 3A state championship run, signed a national letter of intent Friday morning in the Washington High School library to continue his career at East Tennessee State University.

Coy, a relative unknown outside of Hatchet Nation when the 2007-08 season began, had a superb senior season, averaging 13.6 ppg and 9.6 rbg for the 22-4 Hatchets. Coy shot .665 percent from the field this past season, good enough for fourth all-time at Washington High School, and he finished his career with a .627 field goal percentage, second only all time at WHS to his Hatchet teammate and 2008 Mr. Basketball, Tyler Zeller. Coy also set a single Hatchet record with 26 rebounds against Owen Valley this season, and he came up big in the Class 3A state title game against Ft. Wayne Harding with 20 points and 16 rebounds.

During the course of his senior season, several college programs expressed an interest in Coy, but a visit to the East Tennessee campus in Johnson City, Tenn., earlier this week helped him decide on his college choice.

“It’s beautiful down there, the weather’s going to be great. And just hanging out with the players . . . it’s going to be great. Whenever I went with them the first night we all just hung out. It was fun, they didn’t leave me out or anything,” said Coy, who plans to major in elementary education at ETSU. “We were a close team (in high school) and I hope to be as close with the guys down there. We’re all going to play as a team, I could tell that when we were hanging out.”

Coy will continue his career with the Buccaneers, a Division I program under the direction of former Alabama-Birmingham coach Murray Bartow. Bartow, a graduate assistant to Bob Knight on the 1987 national championship team at Indiana University, guided the Bucs to a 19-13 record this past season.

Contacted by phone Friday morning, Bartow said Coy fills a recruiting need for his program.

“We were (looking for a big man). We really haven’t had a five in our program, and Seth fits that bill. We haven’t recruited him that long, but I like his work ethic, I like the fact that he has improved greatly over the last two years,” said Bartow. “We had a great visit with Seth, he seems like a really good kid. And he was very well coached in high school.”

Coy becomes the third Hatchet during the three-year tenure of Gene Miiller to sign Division I letters of intent after Bryan Bouchie (Valparaiso) and Zeller (North Carolina).

“Seth has really come a long ways and improved a lot through his high school career,” said Miiller. “I’m just really proud of what he has accomplished through his high school career and I’m sure he will continue to get better and have a great college career as well.”

via WashingtonTimesHerald