Embrey hired to lead Raiderettes basketball program

DUANE CROSS
MCO Publisher•Editor

Moore County did not go hunting for a project.

It went and got a coach who already knows what deep postseason basketball looks like.

Catie Embrey has been hired as the new head coach of the Raiderettes, bringing 278 wins in 12 years as a head coach and five state tournament appearances with her to Lynchburg.

That résumé kept growing at South Gibson, where Embrey took over in May 2021 and led the program to three consecutive state tournament appearances from 2022-23 through 2024-25.

Before that, Embrey made two state tournament trips at Summertown, including one run to the finals. She has also served as head coach at Columbia Academy and Dickson County and worked as an assistant at Dyersburg and in Senatobia, Miss.

She also won a Division I AAU state championship.

Embrey is a graduate of Lawrence County High School and played collegiately at Lipscomb University. She and her husband, Preston, have two children, Paxson, 14, and Keegan, 12.

She steps into a Moore County program that is hardly starting over.

The Raiderettes finished 17-11 this past season and reached the West Region semifinal. Moore County also made a state tournament run just one year earlier, so the pieces are still there for the next coach to inherit a program with expectations.

In a note to Moore County Schools, Embrey said, “My family and I are so excited about this move. We can’t wait to be part of a community that supports their schools and appreciates the value that athletics provide.

“I’m so ready to build relationships with these young ladies and get started adding to the tradition of Raiderette basketball.”

Embrey replaces Chad Spencer, who led the Raiderettes for five seasons before leaving for Shelbyville, his alma mater. Spencer guided Moore County to two state tournament appearances and a state runner-up finish. In 2024, he was named the BCAT Pat Summitt Coach of the Year.