Bell County High School has found their new boys basketball coach. Just over a week after former coach Frankie Smith announced his resignation, former North Laurel coach Brad Sizemore has been named the coach for the Bobcats. He will officially be introduced on Friday at 1 p.m. in the school auditorium.

Sizemore comes to Bell County with an impressive resume. While at North Laurel, he amassed a 160-95 record in eight years at the school. During that time, he tallied 80 wins against 13th Region opponents and 39 victories against district opposition.

In his first season with North Laurel (2011-12), Sizemore advanced to the 13th Region tournament after making it to the 49th District championship. The Jags defeated Middlesboro, Knox Central and Clay County on their way to a 13th Region title. North lost in the first round of the Sweet Sixteen that year.

Over the last four seasons with the Jaguars, Sizemore’s team didn’t miss the 13th Region tournament. Last year, North won the 49th District title and advanced to the regional title game before falling to Knox Central. During the 2017-18 season, the Jags made it to the semifinals of the regional tournament after winning the district championship.

In both the 15-16 and 16-17 seasons, North lost in the district title game and in the first round of the regional tournament.

Sizemore replaces Smith, who had success while at the helm of the Bobcats. During his short, two-year stint, Smith put together a 35-23 record while going 19-20 in the region and 5-9 in the district.

Most notably for Smith, he delivered Bell County their first winning season in three years after going 17-11 during the 2017-18 season — his debut year with the Bobcats. He followed that up with an 18-12 season last year — giving the Bobcats their first back-to-back winning seasons since former coach Lewis Morris did so in the 2010-11 and 2011-12 seasons. Bell County finished 22-9 in both of those years and advanced to the Sweet Sixteen during the 2010-11 season.