BREAKING NEWS: Only two months after being named Lady Cougars head basketball co

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Grayson County High School Athletic Director Josh Basham has confirmed that GCHS Principal Todd Johnston has hired Travis Johnston as the new head coach of the GCHS boys basketball team.

Of course, Johnston was hired as the girls coach in late May after Daniel Pharris resigned to pursue a career in administration. Basham said Todd Johnston hopes to have the now-vacant Lady Cougars head coaching position filled “pretty quick … within the next few days.”

Travis Johnston has served as assistant coach to former head coach Kelly Carwile for the last two seasons, while also serving as head coach of the boys junior varsity team.

Carwile, who abruptly resigned early last week, putting Todd Johnston’s head coaching search into urgent overdrive, led the Cougars for three seasons, posting an 18-11 mark his first year on the sideline, as GCHS won the 12th District title. The Cougars went 25-33 in Carwile’s final two years, giving him a three year record of 43-44.

Travis Johnston, a 2010 graduate of GCHS, is the high school’s boys basketball program’s all-time leading scorer, with 2,284 points, and was a five year starter for the Cougars. He is also the all-time assists leader at GCHS with 647 career dimes.

His senior year at GCHS, he averaged 19.0 points, 5.7 assists and 3.9 rebounds per game.

Travis Johnston was a two-time all-state selection, and was named Third Region Player of the Year in 2010. He signed to play college basketball with Division II power Kentucky Wesleyan College, but suffered career-ending knee and ankle injuries. He transferred to WKU where he completed his academic career.

Travis Johnston teaches health and physical education at the high school, and is married to the former Kelsey Jo Blanton, of Leitchfield.

(Photo courtesy of Kentucky Wesleyan College)