Scott Hall is thriving both as an assistant coach at Belmont and as a father. (T-G Photo by Danny Parker) [Click to enlarge] [Order this photo]

One of Shelbyville's brightest young coaching minds continues to make a name for himself among the baseball community.

Scott Hall, 32, stepped down after seven years as head coach at Shelbyville Central following a record-setting 2006 season in hopes of securing a coaching position on the next level.

The former Golden Eagle landed on his feet by obtaining a coaching position at Belmont University in Nashville prior to the 2007 season.

"It's been a good experience for me as far as learning that there's more than one way of doing things," said Hall, who went 127-98 in seven seasons as the coach at Shelbyville.

"I've been given responsibility and I appreciate that from (Belmont coach) Dave Jarvis very much."

Each college team is allowed a head coach, two assistants and a volunteer assistant, which is Hall's job. He is director of all the camps, first base coach, outfield coach, works with hitters and does the scouting reports. Per NCAA bylaws, he is not allowed to recruit and cannot be asked by the university to go watch a prospect or show up at a high school game representing Belmont.

"I enjoy the college game and look forward to a future in it," he said.

Hall knew something about the collegiate way of doing things already having experienced it first hand as a member of the team at Maryville College, where he is the school's all-time RBI leader and earned a degree in math.

Coaching on the next level requires more of a full day's work. They have to be at the ballpark between noon and 1 p.m. for a game at 6 that night and there is much more preparation taking place before the games themselves. Teams are allowed 5-7 weeks of official days to work with in the fall and then time afterwards where you can work with players on an individual basis.

High school officials have cut a considerable amount of open facility time out of the schedule and dead periods were extended.

"With the new TSSAA rules, they already had constraints on you to begin with and they're really really squeezing you to death in the high school game right now," said Hall, who led the Eagles to District 8-AAA titles in both 2002 and 2006. "In the offseason it's hard to get as much accomplished that I think you need to get done."

Few have developed a comfort zone like Hall had where he returned to the town he grew up in and got a job leading the team he lettered for before graduating in 1994. Leaving was something of a gamble but one he felt necessary.

Looking back, does Hall miss coaching in the high school ranks?

"In a lot of ways, but in a lot of ways I don't," Hall said. "It's a little easier to be a positive influence on a high school kid than it is a college kid. Their habits are a little less set in stone. They still have more growing and maturing to do. That's the biggest thing I miss about high school."

Lipscomb's Rex Brothers, Tennessee's Jarred Frazier and Vanderbilt's Jonathan White are just a few of several young athletes Hall was able to work with along the way.

"He taught me that a team is not just a collection of individuals," White said. "It is a unit that is only as strong as the weakest link. Each person is accountable for the next."

The Commodore designated hitter didn't stop there, touching on Hall's drive to get the most out of each and every player.

"I can remember times that we would start practice, mess up in some drill and he would make us start over all the way back to stretching.

"He just wants the best out of his players. He is never satisfied with mediocrity. The goal is to be great."

A busy schedule make it tough to get back out to Shelbyville to see some of his former players compete, but Hall said he does what he can to follow their progress.

"I've kept up with them. I've made phone calls, talked to (Shelbyville) coach (Brad) Frasier and I read the Times-Gazette."

He continues to stay busy this summer as an assistant coach for the Brentwood A's of the World Wood Bat Association, a travel team that includes current Shelbyville standout Jordan Cooper and Vanderbilt signees Sonny Gray, Navery Moore and Will Clinard.

Perhaps Hall's greatest accomplishment has been a step into parenthood with his wife Jennifer. They have a 14-month-old son named Preston, who was born premature but is doing great now.

A mind heavy on baseball didn't leave Scott with too much desire to be a father but those feelings have changed immensely.

"It's wonderful," he said. "It's hard to describe. Most of my adult life I didn't wish to have kids. Now that I do I can't believe that I didn't wish to have them."