Bearden coach Mark Blevins, right, watches from the sideline during his team's 59-48 win over Heritage in a high school basketball game at Bearden High School on Tuesday, Jan. 26, 2016. (ADAM LAU/NEWS SENTINEL)

SHARE Mark Blevins

By Dave Link, sports@knoxnews.com

Mark Blevins wasn't out of coaching for long.

Blevins, who resigned as Bearden High School's boys coach when the season ended Feb. 27, begins his job Monday as boys basketball coach and history teacher at Buckhorn High School in New Market, Ala., near Huntsville.

The Bucks won state championships in 1960, '91, and '95 and were Class 5A state runners-up in 2006.

"They've fallen on hard times since then," Blevins said Friday. "I kind of feel needed and it's a good feeling."

Buckhorn, now a Class 7A school, went 7-20 last season.

Blevins, who resigned hours after Bearden's loss to Powell in the Region 2-AAA quarterfinals, was reprimanded and suspended for a month by Knox County Schools on Dec. 17 for "unprofessional conduct as a head basketball coach."

The case was referred to the Tennessee Department of Children's Services, which declined to investigate. He missed 11 games during the suspension but continued to teach.

Buckhorn athletic director and assistant principal David Carroll said he interviewed Blevins in February and that Madison County (Ala.) Schools superintendent Matt Massey contacted Knox County Schools superintendent Jim McIntyre about Blevins during the hiring process.

"We read every bit of documentation," Carroll said. "Our superintendent reached out to their superintendent."

Blevins posted a 582-154 record in 22 seasons at Bearden and is the winningest basketball coach in school history. His teams won 22 district titles, six region titles, reached 11 state sectional (sub-state) games, and went to six state tournaments.

"I've enjoyed my stay (at Bearden)," Blevins said. "I couldn't have asked for anything more than what the players have given me. I owe a lot to all the great players we had. They were a tremendous group of people."

Blevins said it started with the 1994-95 team that included Mick Dearstone, Jared Karnes, and Michael Plemmons.

"Those three started us on this two-decades plus dynasty where we won 80 percent of our games," Blevins said. "They got to state and set the standard for the rest of the teams to follow suit."