IN THE 1939 movie “The Wizard of Oz,” a tornado whisked Dorothy from the hayfields of Kansas to a colorful, whimsical land where she faced many challenges and gathered new friends along her journey. Finally, she clicked the heels of her ruby red slippers together and repeated, “There’s no place like home. There’s no place like home.” Jared Carkuff doesn’t click the heels of his muddy cleats together the way Dorothy did, but he echoes her familiar phrase just the same. After living in Georgia and South Carolina, Carkuff , who graduated from Cascade High School in 2012, is coming home to fill the role of head football coach for his alma mater.
Carkuff was born in Alabama, but his earliest childhood memories are of Bed-ford County. To him, “home” has always been the thriving, quaint oasis of Bell Buckle that enshrines ooey-gooey Moon- Pies, Mama Phillips’ fried peach pies, the down-home atmosphere of Bell Buckle Cafe, and, of course, RC Cola.
“Bell Buckle and the Cascade school system are home to me,” said Carkuff . “So, being close to family and friends again, watching my kids grow up the way I did, excites me. This community is amazing, and I’m so glad to be back.”
In 2006, when Carkuff was in high school, his dad, Maurice Carkuff, accepted the position of assistant coach at Cascade High School under coach Kenny Parker, and Jared, along with his brothers, Jacob and JT, were active in sports. As an athlete who excelled in baseball and football, it came as no surprise that Jared signed with Austin Peay State University (APSU) before his senior year at Cascade even started. When he graduated in 2012, he played baseball for APSU until graduation in 2016.
After several injuries resulting in surgeries, Jared retired from playing baseball and, in 2019, went to Hickman County, where he began coaching football. The following year, he coached for Collins Hill High School in Suwanee, Georgia. Under his leadership, after only two short years, the team jumped to third in the nation and won the state championship in 2021. The next year, his family moved to South Carolina for Jared to be the offensive coordinator, and, just as before, his team made the playoffs both years.
But through every win, his longing for the tight knit community of Bell Buckle beckoned to Jared, and as a dad, he thought of nothing greater than for his children to grow up in his beloved community.
“I am very honored to have had my jersey retired for Cascade baseball,” said Jared. “I was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays and played four years of professional baseball. I was the wide receiver coach at Collins Hill High School in Georgia, where we won the 2021 7A state championship. Football was always my passion, but baseball was always the better path for me. But I always knew when I got into coaching, it would be football.”
Throughout his lifetime, Jared has had mentors and coaches pour into him, but he credits the success he has achieved so far to his dad, Maurice.
“My dad is the reason I am a coach. The impact he had on so many kids made me long to do the same. To this day, every summer, my dad still visits as many of his old players as he can.”
The rest of the Carkuff family is pretty incredible, too, according to Jared.
“From my parents to my brothers and sister, to my wife and kids — they are the reason for everything I have achieved. My parents gave me the opportunities and the resources to be successful, and my siblings pushed and supported me to always be the best I could be. My wife, Baylee, and my kids, Ellie and Jordy — they are now my entire life.”
Before moving back to Cascade High School, Jared taught special education. Although he thoroughly enjoyed his students, he looks forward to focusing on physical education and spending as much time as possible in the high school gym, forming connections with students like his father did.
“I want to be involved and connected with everyone. I want my family and my football team to help and serve this community. If anyone has any opportunities for us to serve, please let me know. My first goal is to build a culture that produces good, productive men off the field. And on the field, my ultimate goal is for us to win a state championship.” GN
