Why WWE Hall of Famer and Hendersonville resident Jeff Jarrett is buying a baseball team

Former Goodpasture basketball standout Jeff Jarrett, who went on to become a Hall of Fame WWE wrestler, is getting into baseball.

Jarrett, a Hendersonville resident, is co-owner of Golden Rule Entertainment, which recently bought the Springfield (Illinois) Sliders Baseball Team.

The team is part of the Prospect League. The sale is pending Prospect League approval, which is expected in January.

“From the moment the opportunity to get involved was first presented to me, and hearing the passion in (Golden Rule Entertainment president) (Jamie Toole's) voice about bringing the best entertainment experience possible to Springfield, I knew I wanted to be a part of this organization," Jarrett said.

"I’m excited about the challenges ahead of us, but I’m more than confident that this talented and experienced ownership group will be able to deliver and exceed all expectations.”

Toole worked with the Jupiter Hammerheads, a Single-A affiliate of the Miami Marlins.

The Prospect League is a summer wood-bat league for college players.

Jarrett and Toole have plenty of work to do in their effort to make the team a draw for fans. The Sliders, who went 30-30 in 2021, averaged only 1,074 fans for 27 homes games, which was fifth in the Prospect League in attendance.

Jarrett was a two-year starting guard at Goodpasture who made the 1985 Tennessean and Nashville Banner all-metro basketball first teams.

He averaged 15 points per game as a senior and went on to play at Aquinas Junior College.

He was enshrined in the WWE Hall of Fame in 2018.

Mike MacIntyre is Florida International's new football coach

Former Brentwood Academy and Vanderbilt football player Mike MacIntyre is the new coach at Florida International.

MacIntyre is the son of former Vanderbilt coach George MacIntyre (1979-85). George MacIntyre also was the coach at Donelson Christian Academy (1991-92).

Mike MacIntyre, 56, spent the last two seasons as the defensive coordinator at Memphis.

He was the coach at San Jose State (2010-12) and Colorado (2013-18). MacIntyre was the Walter Camp national coach of the year in 2016.

He replaced Butch Davis, who went 24-32 at Florida International and 1-11 this season.

MacIntyre was a quarterback and defensive back at Brentwood Academy (1981-83). He played defensive back for his father at Vanderbilt for two seasons before transferring to Georgia Tech.

Vandy's Chris Marve is Virginia Tech's new defensive coordinator

Former Vanderbilt linebacker and assistant coach Chris Marve is the new defensive coordinator at Virginia Tech.

Marve, 32, spent the last two seasons as linebackers coach at Florida State and before that spent a season as defensive run game coordinator and linebackers coach at Mississippi State.

Marve began his career as a defensive quality control coach and then graduate assistant at Vanderbilt in 2014. He was the Commodores’ inside linebackers coach from 2016-18.

As a player, Marve was a four-year starter who recorded 397 career tackles, which ranks eighth on the team’s all-time list.

Lipscomb's Mathews is on a tear for the Houston Rockets

Former Franklin High and Lipscomb standout Garrison Mathews was a key in the Houston Rockets' seven game win streak from Nov. 24-Dec. 8.

Mathews averaged 16.1 points and 3.5 rebounds during the streak.

Mathews is averaging 12.5 points and 3.0 rebounds this season.

He spent his first two seasons with the Washington Wizards after going undrafted in 2019.

Grayson Crawford leaves Lipscomb for the N.Y. Yankees

Lipscomb pitching coach Grayson Crawford has joined the New York Yankees as a pitching coach in their minor league system.

The Hopkinsville, Kentucky, native spent the last two seasons as pitching coach at Lipscomb and was the pitching coach at Austin Peay in 2019, where he originally joined the staff as a volunteer assistant.

Crawford also had stops at Murray State, Louisiana-Monroe and Pensacola State.

Belmont's Wells makes SportsCenter's Top 10

The Belmont women's basketball game at No. 7 Louisville on Dec. 5 was bittersweet for the Bruins' Destinee Wells.

Belmont lost 80-66 but Wells' buzzer-beater shot from beyond half court made ESPN SportsCenter's Top 10.

Wells' shot was No. 3 on the list. She finished with a game-high 19 points.

It wasn't the only big shot connected to Belmont last week.

On Dec. 2, Belmont student Kwesi Mensah made a half-court shot during a contest at halftime of the men's game against Lipscomb. Mensah won his tuition by making the shot.

Philip Fulmer joining local group as an NIL advisor

Former Tennessee football coach and athletics director Philip Fulmer is joining the Athlete Licensing Company as a founding advisory board member.

The Nashville-based ALC will provide support and compliance for schools, booster clubs, sponsors and donors interested in name, image and likeness products and services for athletes.

“ALC has the right business model, expertise and software to help all participants in the NIL ecosystem,” Fulmer said. “Student-athletes, agents, sponsors and university supporters will benefit from ALC’s software system reporting and compliance around the country.”

McNair, Junior and Wilson enshrined in the College Football HOF

Former Tennessee Titans quarterback Steve McNair, who played at Alcorn State, and former Maplewood linebacker E.J. Junior, who played at Alabama, were in the College Football Hall of Fame Class of 2020, enshrined at the 63rd National Football Foundation awards dinner in Las Vegas.

McNair was inducted posthumously and represented by his wife Mechelle.

Former Tennessee linebacker Al Wilson was part of the 2021 class, which also was enshrined.

The 2020 class was not inducted last year because of COVID-19. The class also included Lomas Brown (Florida), Keith Byars (Ohio State), Eric Crouch (Nebraska), Eric Dickerson (SMU), Glenn Dorsey (LSU), John Elliott (Michigan), Jason Hanson (Washington State), E.J. Henderson (Maryland), Cade McNown (UCLA), Leslie O'Neal (Oklahoma State), Anthony Poindexter (Virginia), David Pollack (Georgia), Bob Stein (Minnesota), Michael Westbrook (Colorado), Elmo Wright (Houston) and coaches Dick Sheridan (Furman, North Carolina State) and Andy Talley (St. Lawrence [NY], Villanova).

Along with Wilson, who is from Jackson, the 2021 class included Harris Barton (North Carolina), David Fulcher (Arizona State), Dan Morgan (Miami [Florida), Carson Palmer (Southern California), Tony Romo (Eastern Illinois), Kenneth Sims (Texas), C.J. Spiller (Clemson), Darren Sproles (Kansas State), Aaron Taylor (Notre Dame), Andre Tippett (Iowa) and coaches Rudy Hubbard (Florida A&M) and Bob Stoops (Oklahoma).

Nashville ranked 23rd among Best Sports Cities

Nashville was listed 23rd in WalletHub's 2021 Best Sports Cities rankings.

WalletHub compared 392 cities across more than 50 key metrics related to the five largest sports in the U.S — football, basketball, baseball, hockey and soccer.

The top 10 cities: Boston, Los Angeles, New York, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Denver, Washington D.C., Dallas, Chicago and Miami.

Other cities in Tennessee: Memphis (51), Knoxville (96), Johnson City (168), Martin (178), Murfreesboro (191), Clarksville (194), Cookeville (206) and Chattanooga (212).

Predators VP Gerry Helper retiring

Gerry Helper is retiring as Nashville Predators senior vice president and senior advisor effective Dec. 31. Helper has spent more than 40 years in the NHL.

He has been with the Predators since the franchise began in 1997 serving in various communications roles.

The Buffalo, New York native came to the Predators after spending seven years with the Tampa Bay Lightning as vice president of communications (1991-97).

Earlier in his career Helper worked in the NHL office and got his start as PR director for the Buffalo Sabres.

Richard Campbell inducted into the Metro Coaches Hall of fame

Longtime coach Richard Campbell was inducted posthumously into the Metro Nashville Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame.

Campbell, who died on Sept. 21, was a Stratford graduate who got his start in coaching at Maplewood. He returned to Stratford and then ended his career after seven seasons at Hunters Lane.

Campbell won the Warren Dunn coach of the year award in 2007.

McGavock's Walt Wells, now at EKU, is a national coach of the year candidate

Former McGavock and Austin Peay offensive lineman Walt Wells was named the American Football Coaches Association Region 3 co-coach of the year along with Eric Dooley from Prairie View A&M.

Wells is also a finalist for the AFCA FCS national coach of the year.

In his second season, Wells led EKU to a 7-4 record marking the greatest one-year improvement in program history.

The national award winner will be announced at the AFCA convention Jan. 10 in San Antonio, Texas.

Wells, who also coached at Tennessee, Western Kentucky, Cumberland and Smyrna High, was the Atlantic Sun coach of the year.

Arkansas at Little Rock joining the OVC in 2022

Arkansas at Little Rock is joining the Ohio Valley Conference.

Little Rock sponsors 13 of the OVC’s 19 sports including men’s and women’s basketball along with baseball and will become an official member on July 1.

Little Rock currently is a non-football member of the Sun Belt Conference.

Eastern Kentucky and Jacksonville State left the OVC earlier this year and Austin Peay and Belmont will leave in 2022.

UT Southern women win NAIA soccer national championship

The UT Southern (Martin Methodist) women's soccer team won the NAIA national championship.

The Firehawks defeated William Carey in a shootout in double overtime. Former Lincoln County star Lily Fisk scored the winning kick in the game played in Orange Beach, Alabama. The score was tied 3-3 at the end of regulation.

UT Southern finished the season with a 22-1-1 record.

Austin Peay defensive tackle headed to West Florida

Austin Peay defensive tackle Kenneth Martin is transferring to West Florida.

The 6-foot-1, 286 pound, sophomore from Naples, Florida, announced his decision on his Twitter account.

After transferring from Florida Tech after the disbandment of the football program there in 2019, Martin played in a total 17 games and made 11 tackles in two seasons at Austin Peay.

Ken Rosenthal to speak at Lipscomb baseball dinner

Emmy Award winning MLB on Fox and MLB Network reporter Ken Rosenthal will speak at the annual Lipscomb First Pitch dinner.

The dinner will be Jan. 29 at Lipscomb's Shinn Center.

Admission is free but donations will be accepted. The cost to reserve a table of seven with a Lipscomb player and admission to a meet-and-greet is available for $1,000.

Proceeds go to Lipscomb's baseball program. For reservations contact Brian Ryman at Brian.Ryman@lipscomb.edu.

Sounds vice president Doug Scopel now also assistant GM

Doug Scopel had the title of assistant general manager added to his position as vice president of operations for the Nashville Sounds.

Scopel, a Pittsburgh native headed into his 23rd year with the Sounds, in 2018 was named by Ballpark Digest as the Minor League Baseball Executive of the Year.

Other internal promotions announced by the franchise included Dannielle Gaw to vice president of corporate partnerships, Taylor Fisher to vice president of ticket sales and service, Katie Sigman to director of accounting, Wade Becker to director of retail, Abby Holman to director of marketing, Kevin Kurowski to director of ticket sales and Kyle Hargrove to director of ticket operations.

The Sounds also announced the hiring of Jay Evans and Kelsey Wisner as account executives under the direction of Fisher and Kurowski.

Ensworth's Tommy Frist receives national award

Ensworth golfer Tommy Frist was the 2021 male recipient of the USGA-AJGA Presidents’ Leadership Award.

The award honors one male and one female junior golfer who demonstrated leadership, character and community service through their involvement with the Leadership Links program: a joint initiative founded by the USGA and AJGA.

Frist worked with the local First Tee program raising money and teaching younger golfers. He also volunteered with the AJGA's State Cup Series to raise money through the Tennessee Cup in 2020 and 2021.

Mauer takes over First Tee

Speaking of the First Tee program, Shawn Mauer is the organization’s new executive director.

Mauer, who has served as the executive director of First Tee of Greater Knoxville since 2017, replaced Josh McDade, who was hired as the director of chapter relations by the First Tee national office earlier this year.

If you have an item for Midstate Chatter contact Mike Organ at 615-259-8021 or on Twitter @MikeOrganWriter.

Sports on Nashville TV

The five highest-rated sports events locally for the week ending Dec. 5 in Nashville:

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: WWE Hall of Famer Jeff Jarrett is buying a baseball team