Known for his prowess in football and baseball as a standout athlete at Cawood in the 1990s, Jeremy Lee is promoting a different sport in his first season as the head golf coach at Harlan High School.
“I’ve played golf all my life. Some of my earlier memories are at the Harlan Country Club, playing with dad and grandfather (Larry Lee and Tommy Lee – both former Harlan County court clerks),” said Lee, who was the assistant coach golf coach last season with Travis Cox.
Lee is enjoying being around golf, something he wasn’t able to do when he was in high school.
“I couldn’t play golf in high school because it was during football season, but my body tells me now I should have played golf,” Lee said with a laugh. “Instead of swimming, me and Andrew Forester and Tim Rutledge would walk the course and play.”
Three freshmen — Chris Taylor, Aiden Johnson and Kevin Thomas Lee — are described by the Harlan coach as “the backbone and future of the team.”
Taylor, according to Lee, is new to the sport but has advanced quickly.
“Chris is new to the team, but he shows a lot of enthusiasm to learn,” Lee said. “I think he will continue to develop his skills and will do well.”
Lee said Johnson has played the game for years and has quite a bit of knowledge about golf.
“Aiden is a very talented golfer who has taken private lessons. He’s very smart as far as club selection and ball placement,” Lee said. “I expect him to have a good year.”
Lee, the coach’s son, has improved quite a bit since he joined the high school team last year.
“He’s improved greatly since last season, and I think the high school match experience will help him to continue improving,” Lee said. “His accuracy and shot selection are getting better.”
Story Miller, a senior, and John Mark Bryson, a junior, are expected to play important roles on the team.
“We will rely on our two upperclassmen for leadership and to guide the younger players,” Lee said.
Lee expects steady improvement with a young squad gaining experience through the season.
“I think that experience will do nothing but help,” Lee said. “Adding Story and John Mark, who are a little more developed, will allow us to be more competitive. This virus has thrown practices off and messed everyone up, so we just want to concentrate on improving every shot and taking it step by step. I think we’ll be very competitive by the end of the year if we do that.”