"The Standard Setter Who Builds Men Before Players"

Coach Cortney Clevinger

@iantheasume

Tennessee Impact

There are coaches who run practices, run plays, and run seasons. Then there are coaches who build people, shape characters, and leave fingerprints on generations. Coach Cortney Clevinger lives in the second category. He is a husband and father first, a leader rooted in integrity, loyalty, and consistency. He comes from a small town where your handshake meant something, and your name was your reputation. Life taught him early that real leadership is not announced; it is lived, and Coach Clevinger carries that truth every time he steps into a gym.

His journey began with competition in his blood. Baseball came first, put in his hands by his father, the hardest-working man he has ever known. Basketball soon followed, a second arena to test himself, chase improvement, and learn how to lead. The competitive drive that lived in him growing up never faded. It sharpened. Every field, every court, every challenge became fuel, shaping him into a mentor who finds joy in watching young men step into their potential. For him, sports were never just games. They were classrooms that taught discipline, humility, teamwork, and growth.

Coaching entered his life naturally. It started with guiding his young sons, teaching them fundamentals, helping them understand the game, and realizing how powerful the right support can be. Watching a kid master a new skill or break through a barrier lit something in him. It was not a planned career shift. It was a calling disguised as moments with his children. And once he felt the impact he could make, he never let go of it.

His father shaped him more than any coach ever could. Watching him work, sacrifice, and lead without asking for praise set the blueprint for the man he wanted to become. Leadership deepened when life got louder. Raising five kids with full schedules and full personalities forced him to grow into the leader his family required. Those experiences molded him into someone who thrives under responsibility.

His personal why is, "elevate the athlete, shape the man, honor the process, and impact lives". He wants every young man he coaches to leave better than he arrived. More disciplined, more confident, more accountable, and more prepared for life beyond the court. Basketball is the tool. Impact is the mission.

Tennessee Impact became home through respect, trust, and alignment. Coach Clevinger watched the program invest in players the right way, build them through development, and compete hard without losing the heart behind it. Coaching within Impact did not just sharpen his voice. It sharpened his purpose. It allowed him to hold players to high standards while also pouring into them as young men. To him, this program is a place where growth leads to winning, not the other way around.

Earning respect from elite players is simple in his world. You show up prepared. You speak truth. You stay consistent. You hold the line with standards, accountability, and care. Top-tier players do not want empty compliments. They want structure, honesty, and a coach who invests in who they are becoming, not just how many points they score.

His message to his team stays the same in every moment. Stay disciplined, stay connected, trust the work, win the details, and compete for each other. He believes that games are won long before tip-off and that intense moments reveal the habits built in practice.

The toughest adversity he faced came in the seasons where resources were limited, and the wins had not arrived yet. Starting programs from scratch tested his belief, patience, and resilience. Those were the years where leadership was forged. They taught him that growth is slow, confidence is earned, and real progress comes from commitment, not comfort.

Faith and family guide everything he does. Faith gives him a foundation when pressure and opinions try to shift his direction. Family reminds him that the example he sets matters far beyond the scoreboard. Integrity keeps everything aligned. He knows his players do not just see what he says. They watch how he lives.

In today’s transfer portal and NIL era, Coach Clevinger’s mission is to keep his players grounded. He teaches them to avoid getting lost in social media hype, glamour, rankings, and quick decisions. Talent can open a door, but maturity keeps that door from closing. He prepares them not to chase noise, but to chase readiness.

The lesson he hopes players take with them is that personal growth is an everyday job, integrity matters, confidence comes through preparation, and improvement never ends. Basketball gives endless opportunities to grow if you treat it with respect.

What separates those who make it from those who only talk about it is action. The ones who rise are the athletes who work when the gym is empty, listen when correction comes, compete with purpose, and stay focused on something bigger than themselves.

The best advice he ever received still drives him. Coach the person, not just the player. And he lives that out with every conversation, every practice, every moment of mentorship.

Coach Cortney Clevinger closes his message with a truth he has lived by. Basketball can change a life, but not because of the highlights posted online. It changes you when you show up, respect the process, and allow the game to make you better.

His legacy will not be measured in wins alone.

It will be measured in the men he helped build.