For the third time in less than a year, East Hall will have a new coach leading its boys basketball program.
Tommy Yancey was hired to take the helm of the Vikings on Wednesday, replacing Seth Thompson. Yancey has been the head coach at George Walton Academy in Monroe for the past three seasons.
“Coach Yancey is going to bring a lot of expertise through his High School and College coaching experience," East Hall Athletics Director Adam Rich said. "He brings a depth of knowledge of the game and an intensity that will light a spark into the program. We are excited about all he has to offer and can’t wait for him to begin working with our kids."
The new hire ends the coaching saga at East Hall. It all started two years ago when Thompson was elevated to replace Joe Dix as the head man. After one season, the administration made a massive splash on the coaching circuit in northeast Georgia, luring former East Hall coaching legend Seth Vining out of retirement to replace Thompson. Thompson stayed on as Vining's top assistant, but the plan fell apart in December.
After an opening-round loss to West Hall in the Lanierland Tournament, Vining stepped away from the program, leaving it in the hands of Thompson. In just over a year, Thompson was named head coach of the program twice.
This time around, Thompson stepped down for good which left the job vacant once again.
Now the program can move on with its new leader. Yancey brings college and high school coaching experience to Valhalla. He guided GWA to more wins in his three seasons in charge than the previous six combined.
Prior to his time at GWA, he coached at The College of Coastal Georgia in Brunswick. While at CCGA, he was instrumental in the recruitment of the 2020 class that set multiple records for wins as a four-year college. Prior to the time at The College of Coastal Georgia, he had a stop at Grace Christian Academy in Bainbridge where he was head boys and girls basketball coach along with serving as the school’s athletic director. In the 2013-14 season, he guided both teams to their respective state tournaments, marking the first time in school history both earned state berths in the same season.
Prior to that, Yancey coached for three seasons at St. Johns River State College in Florida, where the team had two of its best season records since the 1960s, and entered the top 25 poll for the first time in 26 years. Before going to St. Johns, he was the head boys coach for one season at Schley County in Ellaville, leading his team there to its second-best record in school history at the time.
Yancey, a Piedmont Academy graduate, was an all-state basketball player and went on to play at both ABAC and Georgia Southwestern.
