The Basketball Coaches Association of Tennessee (BCAT) is pleased to announce its 2023 Hall of Fame induction class.
David Byrd, Dana McWilliams, Jesus Patino and David Russell will be honored at the BCAT Court of Honor on March 24 at Lebanon High School.
“We have another great class of distinguished, well-deserving coaches in the 2023 Hall of Fame class,” BCAT executive director Bruce Slatten said. Their accomplishments speak for themselves.
“The BCAT is happy to induct these coaches into the Hall, not only for their coaching successes but their impact on their athletes and the game of basketball in Tennessee.”
Byrd spent 25 years at Wayne County, coaching the boys basketball team for the 1985-86 season before taking over the girls program the following year. During a 24-year tenure interrupted by a year (1995-96) as principal at nearby Frank Hughes, the Lady Wildcats won 14 regular-season district championships, 13 district tournament titles, 13 region championships and made 14 state tournament appearances. Wayne County advanced to five state championship games under Byrd, winning the 2001 and 2011 Class A state titles.
A 2002 inductee into the Freed-Hardeman University athletic hall of fame, Byrd compiled a career coaching record of 657-172 and was named District 12-A Coach of the Year 10 times along with Class A Midstate Coach of the Year recognition on six occasions. In 2011, his final season, he was honored as the Times Daily Coach of the Year, the NFHS South Sectional girls basketball coach of the year and the BCAT Class A Coach of the Year.
Coaching at her high school alma mater since 1994, McWilliams (née Bilyeu) has led Upperman to 11 district championships, nine region titles and nine state tournament berths, with six state championship game appearances and gold balls in 2017, ‘18 – when the Bees went 37-0 – and ‘22.
A 2018 inductee into the Tennessee Tech athletic hall of fame, McWilliams has posted 10 30-win seasons. She was honored by the TSSAA as the A.F. Bridges Coach of the Year in 2003 and at the conclusion of last season, and is also the reigning BCAT Coach of the Year. She was recognized last year as a recipient of the TSSAA Distinguished Service Award, and the court at Upperman has been named in her honor. As of Jan. 23, her career coaching record was 751-205.
Beginning his coaching career in the Kentucky high school ranks, Patino arrived at Haywood High School in 2001 and took over the White Station program four years later. He led the Tomcats to state tournament appearances each of his final three seasons, and led the Spartans to consecutive title game berths in 2008-10, with a championship in 2009.
In 18 seasons at White Station, Patino’s teams have posted three 30-win campaigns and three others with at least 25 victories. His coaching record over his stay, as of Jan. 23, is 334-200, giving him a Tennessee career mark of 417-240.
Russell’s teams at Medina, Bradford and Gibson County won more than 950 games and earned 17 state tournament berths, with Bradford winning five state championships (1982, 1993, 1996-98) and Gibson County adding a title in 2010, his final season before moving into an assistant coaching role with the Tennessee-Martin women’s program. He spent 10 seasons with the Lady Skyhawks, then retired in 2020.
Russell has been inducted into the Gibson County Hall of Fame (1995) and the TSSAA Hall of Fame (2013).
BCAT Court of Honor Banquet
March 24, 2023 at Lebanon High School
5:30 – 6:30 Doors open / Registration
6:30 – 7:30 Invocation / Dinner
7:30 Recognition of Sponsors
7:35 – 7:55 Guest speaker Andy Landers, Former coach University of Georgia
7:55 – 8:10 Recognition of All Star Teams
8:10 – 8:30 BCAT Coach of the Year Presentations
8:30 Hall of Fame Presentations