After winning 3 straight state titles, former Chambers High coach to return to sidelines

After winning three straight state championships at Chambers High School, Cougars girls basketball coach Donnell Rhyne resigned last month.

He didn’t stay out of the game long.

Rhyne told the Observer Tuesday that he had accepted a job as the new girls coach at Northside Christian School.

Rhyne, 46, was at Chambers for six years and has been head coach all that time. His teams have won four regular-season and two conference tournament state championships in addition to the state titles.

This season’s team had 10 new players but just one incoming freshman, Rhyne said. When nine players came from area schools, Rhyne said it led to a two-week investigation by Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools.

Chambers was not found guilty of anything after the local inquiry and the team went on a big roll after it was done, finishing the season with a championship. And Rhyne thinks the next coach will have a shot at a fourth. Chambers returns four starters.

At Northside, Rhyne takes over a team that 8-7 last season but was 13-48 in the three seasons it played before that.