from Brian Herndon, Athletics Director at Ragsdale High School in Jamestown, N.C.:
ATKINSON BRINGS WINNING MOMENTUM TO RAGSDALE TIGER BASKETBALL
NEW HEAD MEN’S BASKETBALL COACH RENOUN FOR TURNING AROUND THOMASVILLE BULLDOG BASKETBALL
Ragsdale High School has named former Thomasville Bulldog head coach, James Atkinson, as new head Men’s Coach for the Tiger Basketball program.
Atkinson is well-known and highly regarded for turning around a previously struggling program at Thomasville High. Atkinson’s impact was immediate once taking over the reins at Thomasville. In his initial 2015-16 season, Atkinson turned around the previously struggling Thomasville program, winning 13 games.
Under Atkinson’s leadership, the Bulldogs went on to win 24 and 19 games in the following seasons, while advancing in the state playoffs. A tremendous motivator and tactician, Atkinson is well-known for his ability to connect with and inspire young people. He will be a great asset not only to Tiger Basketball, but to the entire Ragsdale Tiger Community.
Prior to his arrival as head coach at Thomasville, Atkinson had been on the staffs at Lexington and Kannapolis Brown. Atkinson also served as head Football Coach at Fairmont High School earlier in his career.
Coach Atkinson brings at extensive athletic background to Tiger Nation: he was a standout Basketball and Football player at Shelby High School, and went on to play college Football at Appalachian State under legendary Mountaineer Football Coach, Jerry Moore. An avid power lifter, Atkinson also brings an impressive background and knowledge base in weight training.
Atkinson’s appointment as new Tiger head coach comes after the departure of former head Ragsdale Men’s Coach, Craig Shoemaker. Shoemaker took the head coaching position at the North Carolina Leadership Academy. Coach Shoemaker will forever be appreciated, respected, and admired for the outstanding coaching job he provided for our Ragsdale Tigers for 13 years. A class act in every regard, no coach anywhere has been more respected by his peers than Craig Shoemaker.
Shoemaker’s teams were always tremendously prepared, and his players will forever appreciate what he meant to them far beyond the Basketball arena. Tiger Nation will forever be pulling for Coach Craig Shoemaker, and we are incredibly excited about where Ragsdale Men’s Basketball is headed under the leadership of Coach James Atkinson! Yes indeed, it is absolutely A GREAT DAY TO BE A TIGER!
IT’S A GREAT DAY TO BE A TIGER!