Spring practice gave new Greene County head coach Chris MacFarland his first opportunity to evaluate the Tigers on the field after taking over the program earlier this offseason.
The spring was centered more on teaching and establishing fundamentals than worrying about results.
Even so, MacFarland said he came away encouraged by the team's effort, physicality, and overall direction.
“The first thing I wanted to see was how the guys hustled and handled live contact,” MacFarland said. “We did a lot of teaching and fundamentals just to figure out where we are right now and where we need to go.”
The Tigers spent much of the spring working through drills and learning the expectations of a new coaching staff, but MacFarland liked the energy and pace the team brought each day.
“It was nice to see them move around,” he said. “Drills were good-paced, and when we had opportunities to hit, there was some good contact. It gave us a good idea of what we need to emphasize this summer.”
One of the biggest priorities moving forward will be fundamentals.
MacFarland said he believes individual development has to come before anything else if Greene County wants to take the next step as a team.
“I’m a big believer in individual work,” MacFarland said. “You’ve got to teach kids the skills first. If they understand how to do things the right way, then it makes everything else better when you start putting in plays and schemes.”
The summer should also help bring more stability to the program as Greene County’s full coaching staff finally gets together in one place.
MacFarland described the spring as somewhat hectic while coaches worked through travel and scheduling challenges during the transition.
“June 1 will be nice because we’ll finally have everybody here together,” he said.
Greene County plans to stay busy during the offseason by attending 7-on-7 camps and participating in OTA events in June and July.
MacFarland hopes those opportunities will help the Tigers continue learning both sides of the ball and build chemistry before preseason camp begins.
The weight room will also remain a major focus.
MacFarland said he has already seen the team grow physically during his short time with the program and wants that progress to continue throughout the summer.
As for leadership, MacFarland said several seniors have started stepping forward, though he stopped short of naming individual players this early in the process.
“I think every successful team has seniors that lead the way,” he said. “That’s something we’re trying to build right now — that team and family atmosphere.”
With spring practice complete, Greene County now turns its attention to the summer months as the Tigers continue to adjust to a new staff and prepare for the start of the 2026 season.