Guy Furr and Bill Damuth

By Benny Rogers
Athens Daily Review
Just as Michael Landers did last year, Pat Smith has gone retro in his search for an assistant coach.
The second-year year head men’s basketball coach at Trinity Valley Community College has announced the hiring of Guy Furr. Furr was Leon Spencer’s assistant at TVCC from 1987-92.
Last summer, Landers, the TVCC athletic director and head women’s basketball coach, reached back into the past to hire former Kurt Budke assistant coach Bill Damuth.
“We have elevated our program with the hiring of Guy,” Smith said. “I’m really fired up about this and what it means.”
Furr replaces Cedrick Brown, who resigned at the end of the 2006-07 season to accept a head coach position at a Illinois college.
“ When Coach Brown left, I said I was going to conduct a nationwide search to find someone,” Smith said. “As it turned out, the person I was looking for was right here in Athens, Texas.”
Though Furr left TVCC, he didn’t leave the area. Remaining an Athens resident, he coached and was an administrator at Martins Mill for five years, served at Murchison superintendent for five years and was at Kemp as an administrator for five years, serving one season as interim head boys basketball coach.
“We now have one of the best recruiters in the entire country here,” Smith said. “And he also has a knowledge of this league. He is a great person and knows TVCC and this area.
“He is a person I’m very comfortable with and is obsessed with recruiting.”
During his first tenure at TVCC, Furr was instrumental in recruiting Nick Van Exel and Shawn Kemp, both of whom went to the NBA, and former University of Kentucky star Neil Derrick.
“I’m ecstatic, and very excited to be coming back to the college,” Furr said. “I told Pat the first time I was here I was trying to get good players so I could get a leg up on moving on. I didn’t realize what a great place this was, like I do now.”
Furr said the overall success of the college’s athletic program since he left has established TVCC as a place athletes want to attend.
“A lot has changed at college since I was last here.” Furr said. “The college’s reputation is even better with the championships the women’s team, cheerleaders and football team have won.
“Back then, it was right after the name change (Henderson County Junior College to TVCC) and it was confusing to recruits at the time to call them and tell them you were from Trinity Valley. Now they know all about the college and its championship tradition.”
Furr said he was thankful for a chance to return.
“I’d like to thank Pat and Mr. (Ron) Baugh and his people for this opportunity,” Furr said. “I’m looking forward to being a part of the TVCC family again.”
Smith said, other than recruiting, establishing relationships with the players would top Furr’s list of responsibilities.
“It’s important to develop one-on-one relationships with the players,” Smith said. “Guy is very personable and will be very good at that.”
Furr said he’s actually known Smith longer than he has Spencer. Their paths first crossed in Tennessee in the mid-1980s, two years before Spencer hired Furr of the staff at Samford University.
Furr attended and played basketball at Bethel College in McKenzie, Tenn.
Furr and wife Tina have two children — Alex, a sophomore and standout performer for the Athens Lady Hornet basketball team, and Preston, a fourth grader.
“It’s a win-win for us. We’re getting a great person and coach and don’t have to pay moving expenses,” said a smiling Smith.