Tony Cox, Samantha Lovelady accept degrees at Fall
commencement
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. -- Tech president Bob Bell is used to shaking
the hands of many Golden Eagle coaches following the success of
their teams on the field. At the recent TTU Fall commencement
ceremonies, he extended a congratulatory handshake to two coaches
for another reason -- to recognize them for receiving their
Master's degrees.
Tony Cox, head coach for Tech's cross country and track &
field teams, and Samantha Lovelady, an assistant coach with the
softball team, were among those walking across the stage at Eblen
Center to accept their degrees.
Cox' degree was a Master's in Exercise Science, Physical
Education, and Wellness, something he felt could help him in his
coaching career.
"I had been working as a chemist for over 20 years and also
coaching for the past six years," Cox explained. "My chemist job
ended last year, which gave me an opportunity to return to
school.
"I wanted to get a master's degree in something that would help me
in my coaching career. Tech's EXPW degree fit my goals and gave me
the flexibility to continue to coach while working on the
degree."
He says he really enjoyed going through the graduation
activities.
"It has been a long time since I have walked through a graduation
line, so I wanted to enjoy the experience," he says. "I enjoyed
seeing the graduates getting their bachelor degrees and knowing how
much that was going to change their lives. I had some family
members and a few members of the track team there, and I think they
liked seeing 'coach' walk through the line."
His master's in EXPW will benefit the track & field program at
Tech, Cox says.
"Getting this degree has helped me understand other areas of physical education outside of what I normally do every day as a track and field coach." he says. "It will help me to be a better coach going forward, as well as possibly provide other opportunities for me professionally.
Lovelady, who was an all-OVC infielder during her four-year
career on the softball diamond, received her advanced degree in
curriculum and instruction. She began working on the Master's
shortly after receiving her bachelor's degree.
"I want to coach, and most colleges and universities require a
master's degree from applicants for coaching positions, so it's
something that should help me in advancing my career," Lovelady
says.
"Not only will it help to set me apart, but it will also give me a
better understanding of how students learn and what I can do to
assist them in learning," she said.
Sitting in the familiar surroundings of Eblen Center along with
more the 700 other graduates at the commencement ceremonies,
Lovelady's thoughts settled on the fact that she was finally
finished with school.
"But, in reality, I'm pretty sure I'm not done with continuing my
education," she now admits.
For now, she'll return all of her efforts to assisting head coach
Tory Acheson in trying to bring the Ohio Valley Conference softball
title back to Cookeville.
