Rodney Woods is a former Tennessee basketball star who, after being a key part of Vol teams that included Bernard King and Ernie Grunfeld, returned to his native Kentucky to achieve Hall of Fame distinction as a high school basketball coach. He’s been the Wayne County coach since 1986, and the school’s gym and basketball court are named for him. He attracted the attention of Tennessee, Kentucky and other college programs during his high school career at Lone Jack in Bell County, Ky., and chose the Vols after Coach Ray Mears or one of his assistants came to 17 consecutive Lone Jack games to watch him play. In this conversation, he talks about his high school days (more than one 50-point night), leading the SEC in assists in each of his three seasons at Tennessee, the “Bernie and Ernie” show, the rivalry with Kentucky and how his coaching has been influenced by Mears and former UK coach Adolph Rupp.
