Strong roots provide anchor for Warlassies basketball program
Chasity Simpson steps up as head coach for Owen High School
Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
June 19, 2020
Chasity Simpson, a graduate of Owen High School and longtime assistant coach, is stepping in as the new head coach of the Warlassies basketball team. Fred McCormick
Two things have remained consistent for the Owen Warlassies basketball team since the start of the 2016-17 campaign: each season has opened with a different head coach at the helm of the program and assistant coach Chasity Simpson joined every one of them on the bench, where she’s been a fixture as an assistant coach for the past seven years.
While the first trend will continue when the Warlassies tip off their 2020-21 season this winter under their fifth coach in as many seasons, Simpson will be returning to the sideline, but in a lead role.
There aren’t many people as familiar with Warlassies basketball as Simpson, who was hired last week to fill the vacancy created when Anderson Bynum accepted the head coaching position at Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute in April, after coaching the Owen program for one year.
A graduate of the Owen High School class of 1996, Simpson, who is the first woman to lead the Warlassies program, played under head coaches Bill Rucker and Tim Raines..
Rucker’s storied career as the coach of the Warlassies featured a 90-game winning streak that spanned the 1964 - 70 seasons, while his successor, Raines, would go on to win nearly 300 games in his 25-year tenure. Raines, who retired in 2017 and currently serves as a Black Mountain alderman, brought his former player on as an assistant coach.
“I learned a lot from both of those coaches as a player in the 90s,” said Simpson, who is currently the data manager at her alma mater, where she’s worked for 12 years. “And then, being Tim’s assistant, I learned a lot about patience. I think that will help me going into this season, which will be a rebuilding season for our program.”
The Warlassies finished 9-15 last season, an improvement over their 5-20 campaign under Rusty Smith in 2018-19. The program recorded its first 20-win season in well over a decade in 2017-18 under one-year coach Aaron Fernandez. While transition has been a theme for the head coaching position in recent years, Simpson has been a stable presence for the team.
“I wanted to be here for the girls,” Simpson said. “They needed that consistency and I was able to provide that for them. That’s what led me to apply for the head coaching position. It hasn’t been fair to our girls, or our program, to have this constant turnover, and I don’t see myself going anywhere anytime soon, so I can provide the consistency we need.”
The rotating cast of coaches in recent years has been “difficult” for the Warlassies, according to Simpson, but her experience has offered her insight into a wide array of on- and off-court strategies.
“There have been playing styles from all of the coaches we’ve had here at Owen the past four years that I will interpret and incorporate into our team,” she said. “I’ve been fortunate to have the opportunity to learn from some good coaches, and I believe that will be an advantage for our program going forward.”
Simpson isn’t the only familiar face returning to the sidelines for the Warlassies this season. She’ll be reunited with her former coach and mentor Raines, who will step into the role formerly held by Simpson.
“Chasity has a lot of experience as an assistant coach with this team, and she’s been an important part of this team for years,” said the school’s athletic director, Anthony Lee. “Will there be a learning curve? I’m sure there will be, but we have a great mentor in place with coach Raines.”
The coaching staff will bring knowledge and consistency to the girls basketball program at Owen, according to Lee.
“Chasity’s roots run deep in our community,” Lee said. “She’s a former student and player and she’s been an employee and coach here for a number of years, so we look forward to having that stability in our program again. And Tim is very familiar with our school, this program and Chasity, so we feel like that’s a great combination. ”
Simpson and her team are eager to welcome Raines back to the sidelines as the Warlassies prepare to begin hosting open gym workouts on Monday, June 22.
“I held a Zoom meeting with the players shortly after I was hired,” she said. “There was a lot of excitement about the future of this program and we want to hit the court running.”
Off the court, the head coach will focus on finding ways in which the Warlassies can connect with the community. Simpson is exploring the idea of establishing a community basketball club and plans to find opportunities that will allow her players to give back to the Swannanoa Valley through volunteer work.
“I’ve always been proud to be associated with Warlassies basketball,” she said. “This is a program that has a rich history, both on the court and the community, and we want to celebrate that.”