Burdette departure leaves Tinsley options open

Scott Tinsley By Jim Workman, WVSPN.com Editor
06/25/2002

Where you saw Robert "Little" Burdette, you also usually saw Scott Tinsley.
The two coaches have spent a lot of time together over the years, at Nitro High School as football and girl’s basketball coaches and even before that at West Virginia State College as football coaches.

So with Burdette’s announcement this week that he has accepted a job at Waccamaw High School in South Carolina, Tinsley must also weigh his future options. He was an assistant football coach and girl’s basketball coach under Burdette. Since he was not a teacher nor was he an employee of Kanawha County Schools, Tinsley relied on his friend Burdette to secure his positions with each athletic team.  

“I could stay at Nitro and keep doing what I have been doing,” said Tinsley, a 1981 St. Albans High School graduate. “Or I could pursue an opportunity to coach at Waccamaw High School.”

“It’s a little easier for a teacher to make that move than it would be for me,” he added. “I’d have to find a job down there. That’s the biggest thing – having an opportunity to make a living down there. But right now it looks like I’ll be staying here at least another year. But it will be up to (Nitro principal) Paul McClanahan if I stay. I don’t want to be a head coach again. But I’d do it for Mr. McClanahan if he asked me to, since it’s so late and close to the season.”

Tinsley currently works as a car salesman in addition to his coaching duties.

“It’s going to be tough to think about coaching without him being here,” Tinsley said of Burdette. “As a coach, especially in the two sports, it’s a lot easier putting in the time with a good friend.

Burdette knows firsthand what Tinsley can bring to the table.

“I’ve talked to (Waccamaw head coach James) Brown about bringing Tinsley down,” said Burdette on Tuesday. “They’ve spoken and he’s watched some film, but he won’t hire someone without meeting them first.”

“I’d like for (Tinsley) to come down,” Burdette admitted.

Burdette lobbied for Tinsley even before he was hired himself. The two coaches were the architects of the offense that saw quarterback J.R. House shatter many national prep passing records, and ends Chris Martin and Jeff Clark surpass career and single game receiving records respectively.

“I told them in my interview about Scott,” revealed Burdette. “I gave the coordinating credit to Coach Tinsley. I was very clear that I can go down there and help them, but we could do even more if we were both there.”

Burdette also laid his future plans on the table in that meeting.

“I told them I may stay down there forever under Coach Brown as an assistant if he wants me,” Burdette added. “But I’m not counting out being a head coach again someday. I’ll probably pursue it -- and if I do, Scott Tinsley will be my offensive coordinator.”

Like Burdette, Tinsley expressed that leaving Nitro would be a tough task if it turns out that way.

“We’ve had a good run,” he said. “We have been fortunate to have great athletes in football as well as this current group of girl’s basketball players.”