Dismissed coach will return to teaching role at Kenrose

Brentwood Home Page news reports
Brentwood High's interim baseball coach, Brian Popovich, was formerly the first head coach at Pope John Paul II and also served as assistant coach previously at Montgomery Bell Academy.

Popovich, who had been serving as BHS junior varsity coach, was elevated to lead the varsity squad before Tuesday's game after head coach Lee Vaughn was relieved of his coaching duties.

In a statement released by the school along with his bio yesterday, Popovich said he hopes to continue the winning tradition established by his predecessors at Brentwood High.

“I take the phrase ‘student of the game’ quite literally,” he says of his approach. “While these are indeed unusual circumstances, I nonetheless hope our student-athletes learn to respect the game, their community and themselves. If we can find a way to do that, the wins will follow.”

Williamson County Schools, meanwhile, announced that Vaughn would be able to continue as a teacher at Kenrose Elementary. Vaughn, initially suspended without pay, was dismissed as BHS coach due to a lack of appropriate supervision of the baseball team off of school grounds, officials said.

“They have concluded the investigation and concluded that his actions as a coach were independent of his teaching position. And he will be back in the classroom tomorrow,” WCS spokesperson Carol Birdsong said.

Popovich, originally from Grafton, Ohio, came to Nashville to attend Vanderbilt, where he lettered in baseball as a corner infielder. An All-Erie Coast standout in football and baseball, he was named the VFW Student-Athlete of the Year in 1987.

Known for his ability as a teacher of the game, Popovich has worked as an instructor in camps and clinics at various local colleges, according to the BHS release. As an active member of the Tennessee Baseball Coaches Association, he has also served as a coach for Team Nashville in the TBCA Showcase Series. Under his tutelage dozens of former players have gone on to play college and minor league baseball, the school said.