When Hamilton Heights headed into overtime earlier this season against eventual District 6-AAA basketball champion Ooltewah, Hawks coach Michael Stone had no idea his team’s performance that night would lead to him leaving his alma mater.

At the end of a third straight regular season with more than 20 wins, Stone informed his team last Friday that he would be stepping down at the end of the year to take the boys’ head coaching position at the new East Hamilton High School.

“I think it had more to do with our success this year than anything else,” Stone said. “We had the opportunity to play some larger schools, and we’ve done pretty well against them. After the Ooltewah game, I was contacted and asked to interview for the East Hamilton job, but I actually waited about three months before I got in touch with anyone.

“I have a lot invested in this school, and I really wasn’t sure if I wanted to leave, but I made the decision because it was too good of an opportunity to pass up. I feel very fortunate to have been offered it. I really need to thank my dad (Hamilton Heights headmaster Duke Stone), because if it wasn’t for him letting me coach here when I was 23, I wouldn’t have had the chance.”

Stone was a standout player for the small independent school in the Tyner area and continued his basketball career at Bryan College before taking over as the Hawks’ head coach. He will teach middle school algebra in addition to his coaching duties at East Hamilton, which will begin varsity play as a TSSAA Class AA team next season.

“Number one, he’s an outstanding math teacher, and we need math teachers,” East Hamilton principal Pam Dantzler said. “And I’ve been quite intrigued by his coaching ability just through looking at basketball summaries all season. (Athletic director) Ted Gatewood had talked to a lot of basketball coaches, and they all spoke very highly of his coaching ability and of his players.

“He’s very young and enthusiastic, and I think he’ll be able to come in and establish a good rapport with the players and set high expectations for them right away.”

The hardest part of the transition for Stone will be leaving the players he’s coached the past three years, but he said he looks forward to joining the high-caliber coaching staff Dantzler and her staff have put together.

“It’s emotional, for sure,” Stone said. “I have four juniors who’ve been with me since I started coaching, and leaving the talent behind is going to be tough, but leaving the people is even tougher. But this is just a great opportunity for me to be mentored by some coaches who’ve been really successful, and I couldn’t be more excited.”