Russell "Russ" Basham
Coach, Administrator
Tennessee High School
1955-1990
Russell "Russ" Basham – Coach/Teacher/Administrator, 1955-1990 (Tennessee High School)
Russell "Russ" Basham came to Tennessee High School in 1955, where he served as a coach, teacher, and administrator for 36 years until his retirement in 1990.
Basham answered his call to duty in the United States Air Force. After serving four years, he enrolled at Tennessee Tech where he earned his B.S. Furthering his education, he earned his M.S. +45 hours from E.T.S.U.
Basham proudly led the Vikings to their first and only state baseball championship in 1967. Basham was named Coach of the Year in the Big 7 that year. Basham finished his 14-year coaching career with a 259-103 record for the Vikings and never experienced a losing season.
In 1974, Basham made a career decision to step away from coaching baseball to become assistant principal at THS, where he served until his retirement in 1990. In his retirement years, Basham became an avid golfer, participating in the Tennessee State Senior Olympics. He was the ultimate family man, caring for his wife of 68 years and loving his 2 sons, 4 grandchildren, and 3 great-grandchildren. Basham passed away in February of 2022.
