With the final whistle on Friday night’s 18-17 win over Signal Mountain, the Soddy Daisy Trojans finished their 2023 football season, and Coach Carter Caldwell finished his term as Head Coach of the Trojans. Cardwell took over head coaching duties in 2022 after Coach Justin Barns left to become offensive coordinator at Riverdale.
In a statement on social media Wednesday afternoon, Cardwell says,” I was informed yesterday by the administration that they have declined to go in a new direction with the leadership of the Soddy Daisy Football program. I have enjoyed coaching football at Soddy Daisy HS these past five seasons, and I appreciate all the players, coaches, students, and families that have poured into this football program. I will continue to teach History at Soddy Daisy HS, and I want to thank everyone in the Soddy Daisy community for these past five seasons.”
Athletic Director Jared Hensley says the school is “very appreciative of everything Coach Cardwell has done for our football program.” He also added there is no timeline at the moment for hiring a new head football coach. Coach Caleb Collier has been named Interim Head Coach during the process of finding the next head coach for the Soddy Daisy Trojans.
Cardwell started his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Clemson before coaching at Auburn, Catawba College, Virginia Military Institute, Maryville College, UT Chattanooga, and Sewanee. At the high school level, he coached at Loudon, McMinn County, Red Bank, and Boyd Buchanan before coming to Soddy Daisy in 2019.