June 3, 2021
By: Dwayne Page
Director of Schools Patrick Cripps didn’t have to look far to find a successor to Assistant DCHS Principal David Gash.
Thomas Cagle, DCHS History teacher and assistant football coach, will be officially stepping into the position July 1.
“I am very excited to get started and go to work in this new role. I feel really good about that and am looking forward to it,” Cagle told WJLE.
For the last five years, Cagle has been a member of the faculty at DCHS. “ I started in 2016. I have taught US History, contemporary issues, AP US History, and recently the dual credit US History that we have now. I have also been an assistant football coach serving the last three years as defensive coordinator,” said Cagle.
Born and raised in Pikeville, Cagle was educated in the Bledsoe County School System before heading off to college.
“I graduated high school in Bledsoe County and then went to Roane State Community College for two years and later to Tennessee Tech where I finished my degree. My first teaching position was at East Nashville Magnet Middle School. I was fifth grade History teacher there for two years. My wife and I then moved to Cookeville and I took a job at Jackson County in Gainesboro where I taught seventh grade History for a year and then a year of high school History before I came to DeKalb County,” Cagle continued.
“When I came across a football posting and job opening for the high school here I reached out to Coach Steve Trapp and he called me back and got me in for an interview. I interviewed with Dr. Kathy Bryant , who was principal at the time, and Coach Trapp and they gave me an opportunity to come to DeKalb County and I have been around ever since”.
Even before the Assistant Principal job came open this year, Cagle had been preparing for a future opportunity in administration.
“I had been working toward my degree this year through the state of Tennessee’s aspiring assistant principal network and was fortunate enough as part of that to intern here at the high school for the last year under Principal Randy Jennings and Assistant Principals David Gash and Jenny Norris so I have a little bit of a view of the position even though it was a COVID year and the school year was a little different.,” said Cagle.
Although it’s a new position for him, Cagle won’t have to get adjusted to new surroundings.
“DeKalb County has become another home for me. It reminds me a lot of my hometown being a small community. I have really enjoyed getting to know everyone and being welcomed into the community. I am looking forward to working with all the teachers I have already been working beside and don’t plan on changing anything as far as my relationship with anyone. I just want to do what I can to best serve the community and the kids here in DeKalb County,” Cagle said.
Cagle will have to step aside as assistant football coach but he will continue to root for the Tigers from a different place off the field.
“I really enjoyed coaching football and I want to thank Coach Trapp for giving me that opportunity to work with him and the Tigers as an assistant coach. I look forward to continuing that relationship in a different role now,” he said.
Cagle added that he is thankful to Director Cripps and the Board of Education for their support in his new position as Assistant Principal.
Cagle and his wife, residents of Cookeville, are the parents of four boys from ages eleven years to four months old.