After one season, Cotton out as boys hoops coach in Crisp County

CORDELE — Former Americus-Sumter boys hoops coach Robert Cotton, who left last season to take over at Crisp County, said he asked Cougars A.D. Sean Pender for three things after being told last week he would not be back next season following just one year on the job.

“I said I wanted to know what I’d done wrong, what I needed to improve or change to be a better coach going forward and for me to be the one to tell the kids — no one else,” Cotton, who coached in Americus for four seasons, told The Herald on Thursday. “He just said they were going in another direction.”

Cotton then spoke with his team, which he led to the GHSA Class AAA state tournament this season for the first time in five years. The Cougars finished 12-14 and had marquee wins over Westover (which plays today in the Final Four in Macon), twice beat his former, larger Class AAAA program in Americus and most recently lost to defending AAA state champ, South Atlanta, by eight points, 70-62, in the first round of state.

“I called the kids in really early the next morning and told them they were going in another direction,” Cotton recalled. “The kids were upset; they were boo-hooing, but I told them to keep their heads up, stay together and stay humble.”

Attempts Thursday to reach Pender, who was hired just two weeks ago as the new A.D. and football coach, to discuss the coaching change and future of the program, were unsuccessful, and a message left was not immediately returned.

Cotton, who teaches alternative education at Crisp, added that he will stay on through the end of the school year as an educator, but isn’t sure of his future beyond that.

“It’s strange. This has really left a bad taste in my mouth and I kind of just feel like it’s time to stop coaching and just retire,” Cotton said “I really don’t have any hard feelings toward Crisp. They gave me an opportunity. But as a coach (of young kids), you sacrifice a lot over the years to make a difference in their lives and your program. You give up your summers, Christmas, Thanksgiving — I’ve been doing this 20 years. I’ve made a lot of sacrifices for basketball and it’s because I love it so much.”

Cotton says he’ll evaluate his next move once the GHSA state playoffs end Saturday and job openings for coaches start to become available.

“The last thing I told my (Crisp County) team is that I needed them to do something for me,” Cotton said. “I told them, ‘We started something here, and now I need you to go out and finish it.’ “