For the first time in his career, Chattanooga State baseball coach Greg Dennis will have a full complement of assistants.

Robert Long has been helping the Tigers, especially working with the pitchers, and now Dennis has added two volunteer assistants who possess outstanding credentials as high school coaches in the Chattanooga area.

Joining the staff are Joe Wingate, who rebuilt the program at Ooltewah, and Steve Garland, the longtime Soddy-Daisy coach who resigned that position in June.

“I’m excited as all get-out to have the help,” Dennis said. “I’ve been blessed by having Robert the last three years, but having Joe and Steve with their backgrounds is just a plus.”

Wingate left Ooltewah three years ago and worked as a volunteer assistant for a year each at Arkansas State and the University of Tennessee.

“It’s a chance to be involved with college baseball, and it offers me a chance to recruit off campus and to coach at a pretty high level,” Wingate said. “There’s no reason to take a high school job when I am uncertain whether I want to do that for the next five or six or eight years.”

Recruiting will be just one of Wingate’s duties. He also is expected to work with the Tigers’ outfield as he did at UT and Arkansas State and with the overall defense.

“I know Joe wants to build his resume recruiting-wise, and we’ll probably turn a lot of the recruiting over to him,” Dennis said. “We’ll let him gravitate to where he is most comfortable.”

Garland will continue teaching and working as football defensive coordinator at Soddy-Daisy. He’ll miss most of the Tigers’ practices in the fall semester but will help them in the spring when there is no conflict with his high school job.

“Jumping into spring, Steve’s duties will be a little different,” Dennis said. “He’ll fill in where he fits best, but I hope to utilize him with the infielders and baserunning. Both of those guys will work with our hitters.”

Garland has coached baseball in the Hamilton County system for 16 years, 13 of those as a head coach.

“Being a head coach is a lot of fun, but it is also a lot of responsibility,” he said. “With Chattanooga State I’m getting the opportunity to stay in baseball and not be a head coach.

“I think I can learn and grow at a place that has been successful. It’s a great fit for me. I know I’m going to get something from there. I just hope I can give something back.”

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