TIFTON — The Tift County School System has named its new Head Boys Basketball Coach and Northeast Campus Principal. The Board of Education help a special called meeting to vote on recommendations from the Superintendent and announce those selected. Chris Wade will be the basketball coach while Chris Martin will be Principal.

“Both of these leaders have a distinguished record of working for our system,” said Superintendent Patrick Atwater. “They have proven they are ready to take on these new roles.”

Wade has served as Tift County’s Associate Head Coach since 2013.

“I am excited and thankful for the opportunity to take over the Tift County boys basketball program,” Wade said. “Tift County Basketball has a rich tradition of excellence on and off the court.  My plan is to build upon the foundation that has been laid by the previous coaches and players as well as respect and hold onto long-standing traditions of the program.  There will be obvious differences on the court, but the core values of discipline, class and hard work that have been a part of this program for many years will be respected and carried on by myself, players and coaching staff.”

Wade is no stranger to leading championship teams. In addition to being a part of the 2014 and 2017 Tift County State Championships, he led two different collegiate basketball teams to regular season or conference tournament championships- South Georgia Technical College in 2004, 2005 and 2006 and Miami Dade College in 2007. He was named Coach of the Year in the Georgia Junior College Athletic Association in 2004, 2005 and 2006 while taking the same title in the Florida College System Activities Association (formerly the Florida Community College Activities Association in 2007.

During his career, Wade has also coached football, golf and tennis and taught various levels of math at the high school and middle school level.

Wade was chosen to replace Dr. Eric Holland who has taken the position of principal at Rome High School in Floyd County. Holland was also serving as the interim principal at Northeast Campus.

Martin has spent his professional career exclusively in Tift County. After teaching and coaching for five years at Northeast Campus, he became the assistant principal of the school. He is currently the assistant principal at Eighth Street Middle School where he has been since 2012.

“I am extremely honored to have been chosen as the next principal,” said Martin. “Returning to Northeast Campus will feel like coming home. I began my career there and am very much looking forward to the chance to work with the staff to offer the best we can to our students.”

Both Wade and Martin will begin the transition to their new roles immediately.