It is with a heavy heart we say good-bye to Coach Jeff McDaniel and his family. They are moving to Miami, where his wife, Mausi, has taken a new job. Coach McDaniel arrived in 2015 with his sons, Brayden and Cohen.
"As you know, Jeff has been a stellar P.E. teacher and motivator of children of all ages. His wonderful spirit has inspired us all and brought to Bright School an enthusiasm for physical health and growth that permeates the school community. In P.E. classes, cross country and track, scooter races, Bright Fit, and countless other activities, he has shown us all how to have great fun while also reaching high to improve ourselves. No doubt, we will all greatly miss Jeff, Mausi, Brayden, and Cohen, but we'll also wish them the best in this next chapter of their lives," said Head of School O.J. Morgan.
We have hired Bobby Gendimenico to teach P.E. with Coach Ashley Linehart. Mr. Bobby, as children may know him, joined the faculty last year as a Bright Afternoons counselor and then became a kindergarten assistant to Delaney Driver during Mary Bosshardt’s maternity leave. He moved to Chattanooga in 2019 from New Orleans, where he was the only P.E. teacher at St. George’s Episcopal School, which includes grades PK-8. He also coached middle school swimming, soccer and track and field. Previously, he was a program manager in New Orleans for Up2Us Sports, a national organization that trains and supports coaches to serve as mentors and role models to youth in underserved communities. He earned his bachelor’s degree in sports studies at Ithaca College and his master’s degree in international sport management at State University of New York at Cortland. His wife, Lizzie, is the middle school counselor at Baylor.

P.E. looks different this year because of COVID-19. Grades PK-3 are divided by class and led by Coach Linehart, Coach Bobby and Coach Ashley Martin, who is assistant director of Bright Afternoons. Fourth and fifth grade have P.E. as a group since they are together throughout the day for the changing of their classes. The other grades remain within their classrooms during the day.