There was a point in Chris Whitt’s young life he had no clue what career he wanted to pursue. 

First, he tried music production without much success. 

Whitt then started working for his father in the family business, went back to college and eventually earned his teaching certificate. 

He thought he would begin his teaching career at Ardmore High School in the fall of 1990.

One day prior to starting that job, though, Whitt received an impromptu visitor at the job site on which he and his dad were working. 

“Johnny Black was the principal at Tanner High School, and he just showed up and asked me if he could have a word with me,” Whitt said. “We got in his car and he talked with me about coming to Tanner High School. He had a teaching and coaching spot open there, and he wanted me to come to Tanner. I took him up on the offer.”

As with most high school newcomers, Whitt was tasked with coaching multiple sports. 

He leaned on his playing days as three-sport standout at Elkmont High School to help in the transition from playing to coaching. He was the head coach of the Rattlers’ 1991 baseball team, which advanced to the fourth round of the state playoffs. He also served as an assistant coach for the highly successful football program. 

It was the sport of basketball, however, where Whitt would embark on a remarkable head coaching career that would see him become one of the most successful basketball coaches in Limestone County history. 

A career that spanned from 1994-2020, Whitt led the Rattlers to two state championships, 12 county titles, 21 area championships, 23 regional appearances, 13 regional crowns and 13 Final Four berth. Whitt finished with a career record of 586-196. 

“I landed in a gold mine,” he said. “One of the best pieces of advice I ever received about coaching basketball was from (former University of Alabama head basketball coach) Wimp Sanderson. I was at a coaching clinic when he spoke to a bunch of us coaches. He told us no matter how good we thought we were as coaches, that to be successful, we better have some players. We had good players at Tanner. A lot of good players. There were no down cycles. No matter what we lost from the season before, we had talented players ready to step in. I couldn’t have asked for better young men to coach. They were committed to doing what we asked. I had great assistant coaches, too, beginning with Jason Camp, who helped me tremendously when I took over the basketball program. The Tanner community was incredible in how they supported our team over the years. Our administration was great, beginning with Billy Owens, who was our principal when I took over as the basketball coach. He was the former head basketball coach at Tanner and he always welcomed me in his office when I wanted to pick his brain about what we needed to do to improve.”

While the Rattlers would win many games and secure numerous championships during the first two decades of Whitt’s tenure, the ultimate prize eluded them until 2011. 

The Rattlers played Barbour County High School for the state championship that year — and the rest is history.

“That was a tough matchup for us,” Whitt recalled. “They were tall. I believe they had two players who were 6-9 and 6-6, respectively, starting on their front line and our tallest player was 6-3. We were down 14 points in the third quarter and we decided to go to our 1-2-2 trap. We started forcing some turnovers and cut their lead to one point with one minute to go. Matthew Hines then hit four free throws in last few seconds and we won 54-51. We won another state championship two years later. But winning the state championship in 2011 was extra special for me because my two sons and nephew were on that team.”

Camp said it was Whitt’s steady leadership that led to the great success the Rattlers achieved. 

“Chris was a great coach,” he said. “His work ethic was off the charts. He never asked an assistant coach or player to do something that he wasn’t willing to do. He was good with the X’s and O’s of coaching, but he was even better with relationships. Chris really cared for his players.”

Whitt said he is humbled to be included in this year’s Limestone County Sports Hall of Fame, but that the honor isn’t about him.

“I feel blessed to receive this honor. However, this award is about the players, coaches and administrators at Tanner High School that brought this honor to my name. My family is responsible for this award as well. My dad was always supportive and never missed a game. And finally, my wife who was at home with three young children early on during my coaching career at Tanner. It was tough for her, but she was at as many games as she could make with our kids supporting me.”