Tony Rutland hired as Oakland boys basketball coach, replacing Dyron Birdwell
Cecil Joyce- Tony Rutland, former La Vergne coach, is Oakland's new boys basketball coach.
- Rutland led La Vergne to three straight sectional appearances and a state tournament berth.
- He replaces Dyron Birdwell, who resigned in March after four seasons.
- Rutland coached La Vergne to a 79-47 record over the past four seasons.
Tony Rutland said it was "one of the hardest decisions I've ever had to make."
That decision was leaving a La Vergne program that he led to three consecutive TSSAA basketball Class 4A sectional contests to take over the boys position at Oakland.
Rutland was hired as the Patriots' coach on April 22, replacing Dyron Birdwell, who announced his resignation in late March. Birdwell has since been hired as boys basketball coach at Lincoln County.
"I was really looking-looking," said Rutland, who led La Vergne to its first state tournament berth in 2024. "I’ve always been fond of how winning tradition has been at Oakland withfootball. (Kevin) Creasy has done a wonderful job there building his foundation and his program.
"And then just talking to the locals, it was a shock to me that (in the past) roles were reversed, Oakland was a basketball school and Riverdale was football school. Thinking back to that, wanted to bring tradition and that basketball tradition back to Oakland. To me, not about laying the foundation at Oakland, but trying to rebuild and trying to bring back tradition they had in past. Randy King and the tradition they had there."
Rutland took over at La Vergne prior to the 2020-21 season. He guided the Wolverines to their third consecutive sectional before falling 63-61 to Walker Valley in 2025.
La Vergne went 21-9 this past season, its second consecutive 20-win campaign. Over the past four seasons the Wolverines were 79-47.
"Coach Rutland's success as a coach and player is impressive, but what truly stands out is his dedication to helping our student-athletes grow as leaders and individuals beyond the game," Oakland principal John Marshall said. "Oakland High School has a proud tradition of excellence in basketball, and I am excited for the future of our program under Coach Rutland's leadership."
A standout guard at Wake Forest from 1994-98, Rutland was named third-team All-ACC before playing nine years professionally overseas. He was teammates with NBA legend Tim Duncan while at Wake Forest.
Rutland scored 1,900 points during his high school playing career at Bethel High in Hampton, Virginia.
Oakland finished 9-21 in 2024-25, finishing last in the regular season in District 8-4A before winning a first-round tournament game and reaching the region semifinals. In four years, the Patriots were 50-69 under Birdwell, reaching at least the region quarterfinals each season.
La Vergne will seek a coach to continue its recent tradition. The Wolverines graduate three-time all-area performer Landon Bryant but will return several key pieces, including junior sharpshooter Steven Sherman.
"I was vested in the kids, and they made the job real easy for me," Rutland said. "They came in here willing to work. When they bought in, the sky was the limit. One thing I prided myself on was that we fought until the scoreboard read 0:00. I want to thank (La Vergne principal Theo Hatchett) and the administration for allowing me to coach there. I wish them nothing but the best. Something great is happening at La Vergne, and I'm glad to have been part of it."
Cecil Joyce covers high school sports and MTSU athletics for The Daily News Journal. Contact him at [email protected] and follow him on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, @Cecil_Joyce.