Story by Rusty Ellis
Photo by Kailee Dick
York Institute senior Gabby Beaty is taking the next step in her academic and athletic career, as she signed to play basketball for head coach Bryon Lawhon at Johnson University this fall.
York head coach Michael Green began his tenure as the girls basketball coach during Beaty’s freshman season, and he’s had a front-row seat to watch her growth as an athlete these last three seasons.
“She’s just a tremendously hard-worker, and I’ve said from day one when I got here that I wanted her help in changing the culture,” Green said. “She does all the little things that you don’t see in the scorebook and newspaper and all that…half of her offense is just from offensive rebounding and doing the dirty work.”
Green has always been one of Beaty’s biggest advocates, and if you ask him, there’s not many players he would take over her.
“I’ve said it before, I think she’s the most underrated player in the state of Tennessee,” Green said. “In the classroom, she works hard, and she works hard on the court…if you had 10 of her on your team, you’d win a state championship every year.”
Beaty’s recruitment is consistent with how Lawhon has done things in the past at Bryan College and in his short time at Johnson University, as he’s recruited the Upper Cumberland very heavily.
As far as her fit with the school, Green says he’s ecstatic to see how she can contribute to a new, up-and-coming program.
“I know they have a 20-something million dollar facility,” Green said. “(Lawhon) said he’s wanting to build this program around players like Gabby, and I know he’s already got some players committed from around the Upper Cumberland…she’s going somewhere that she’s really going to enjoy. She’s just a great player and an even better person. I think she’s going to have four successful years there.”
