Dale Flatt Introduced As Livingston Academy Head Football Coach

Dale Flatt’s lengthy football coaching career has culminated in being named head football coach of the Livingston Academy Wildcats.

Flatt, who has been an assistant at LA on several occasions and was most recently the principal of Allons Elementary School, said he never expected to become head coach of the Wildcats.

“Back years ago, maybe I thought (becoming head coach at LA) might have happened some time or another, but this late in my career? No, I didn’t think so,” said Flatt. “I know that it would be living where I was at, and I think the world of Allons Elementary, but this is what I went to school for. It’s what I’ve always dreamed of, so I said yes.”

Flatt will be taking over the reins from former coach Bruce Lamb, who resigned in May and has strongly endorsed his successor.

“I was born in Indiana, but I’ve lived around here pretty much my whole life,” said Flatt on his roots in Livingston. “I played ball in Livingston, went to Tennessee Tech and played there. I was the head coach of Central Middle School (Now Macon County Junior High), and coached defensive line at the high school.”

Flatt then became an assistant at LA, before taking a several-years-long gap working other jobs. He was then an assistant for the 2005 team that won a state championship. Flatt said he thinks he fits as the head coach in Livingston in part due to the fact he does not aspire to coach anywhere else.

“I’m not a flashy guy,” said Flatt. “I’ve had more people call me in the last few days and more interviews and I’m thinking, ‘what’s all the fuss about?’ In regards to being a head coach, I wasn’t looking for that, I was just wanting to coach. In regards to looking for a 6A school or anything like that, I’m not looking for anything. This is my place. This is home.”

Flatt said he wants his team to be humble and hard-working, and put an emphasis on building kids up to be good young men.

“I want our team to be known as a team that has kids that grow up to learn how to be respectful and good young men when they get out of here,” said Flatt. “When you do that, the wins come and everything else comes with it. That’s the way I was brought up.”

Flatt, who has largely been a defensive coordinator and assistant in his coaching career, has begun to assemble his staff which includes two assistants staying on from Lamb’s staff that will be assets for the offensive side of the ball.

“I’ve got Dylan Hayes with me,” said Flatt. “He’s really thorough with the offensive side of the ball. He’s going to do the offense and I’m going to do the defense. I’ve also got Noah King back. He’s really eager to learn and a great guy to have around. I picked up Cody Muse. He coached at Scott County for 12 years. I’ve got another boy, Ivan Coil, he is in college right now and knows a lot about defensive backs and receivers. He played at Cumberland. I’ve got four right now, and I’d like to have five.”

Flatt inherits a young team, the Wildcats have had several successful years in a row, and now face large turnover from juniors and seniors to freshmen and sophomores. Flatt said he is not concerned with the age of his team, but does view it as an opportunity for players to develop in his program from start to finish.

“I know they’re young. I know we have a lot of things against us. I really don’t care about that,” said Flatt. “I don’t care if they’re a freshman or a senior, if they can play, they can play. The biggest thing is not necessarily if they can play, it’s if they want to learn. It doesn’t matter what knowledge he had before he’s out there, it matters what he learns when he’s out there.”

Flatt’s head coaching tenure will begin on August 20 when they take on rival White County. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.