Ensworth is pleased to announce Jason Maxwell as Ensworth’s Athletic Director.
Maxwell is a former Major League baseball player with the Chicago Cubs from 1993-1998 and played the 2000 and 2001 seasons with the Minnesota Twins. He also spent a portion of his career playing with the Detroit Tigers, Cincinnati Reds, and Tampa Bay Rays organizations.
For the past 19 years, Maxwell has worked at Ensworth, serving as the founding head coach for the varsity baseball team and as the director of admission for the Middle School. During his time as head coach, Maxwell has helped over 30 athletes continue their baseball careers at the collegiate levels. His student-athletes have gone on to play for top programs, including West Point, Duke, Notre Dame, Georgia Tech, Vanderbilt, Belmont, Rhodes College, Centre College, Xavier University, Tennessee Tech University, Wash U, Indiana, Tennessee, Lipscomb, and UMASS.
In addition to coaching at Ensworth, Jason has served on the Tennessee Baseball Coaches Association (TBCA) and the American Baseball Coaches Association Diversity in Baseball Committee, as well as as a coach for the TBCA Showcase Classic and USA Baseball teams. As Assistant Coach for the 2016 USA 15U National Team, the team won the Bronze Medal in the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) World Championships in Japan. As Manager for the 2018 USA Baseball 15U National Team, his squad won a Gold Medal and the WBSC World Championship in Panama. In 2019, he was awarded the Tennessee Baseball Coaches Association DII-AA Sectional Coach of the Year.
Maxwell was named coach for the 2021 Major League Baseball/USA Baseball High School All-American Game and was honored with the Nashville Old Timers Baseball Association Mr. Baseball Award. He was also the 2021 USA Baseball 18U Manager and named the USA Baseball Developmental Coach of the Year in 2018. In 2023, Maxwell was named the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) High School Division Chair and Assistant Coach for the 2023 USA 18U Baseball National Team.
A native of Lewisburg, Tennessee, Maxwell attended Marshall County High School, where he was a three-sport, All-State athlete in baseball, basketball, and football. Upon graduation, Maxwell attended Middle Tennessee State University, where he was named All-Ohio Valley First Team honors for baseball in 1992 and 1993 and helped the Blue Raiders reach the NCAA tournament in 1992.
Maxwell’s appointment is the culmination of a comprehensive national search process led by an internal advisory committee. Maxwell emerged from an impressive pool of candidates as a passionate and talented leader with a deep understanding and appreciation for Ensworth’s mission and vision and as the clear choice to lead Ensworth athletics into the future.
Maxwell will replace Ricky Bowers, who will move into a new role as Athletic Administrator Emeritus. Bowers dedicated over 20 years to building successful athletic programs at Ensworth, demonstrating an unwavering commitment to the mission and vision of the school and the development of our student-athletes and coaches, both as exceptional competitors and leaders.
From Head of School Prentice Stabler: “Coach Maxwell’s commitment to character and integrity, combined with his competitive nature and love of people, make him an ideal leader for our athletic department. Jason is a leader with high expectations, one who takes care of the little things and never loses sight of the big picture. The countless alumni, former players, students, and parents who come to visit him every year are a testament to the immeasurable impact he has had on generations of Ensworth athletes and students.”
From Ricky Bowers: “Coach Maxwell is a wonderful man and model of kindness. Ensworth is and has been fortunate to have him and his beautiful family flourish in this community for 20 years. I am thrilled to know he will have this new opportunity and remain in this community for years to come.”
From Jason Maxwell: “I am beyond excited to be named the next Athletic Director at Ensworth. I am deeply honored and thankful for this opportunity. The Ensworth community has become such a special place for my family over the past twenty years, and this position is one that I cannot wait to embrace. I look forward to continuing the legacy of the Ensworth athletic program set forth by my predecessor, Ricky Bowers, as I aim to impact, inspire, and lead our student-athletes and athletic department in their future endeavors with hopes of them becoming people of high character and integrity on and off of the field of play.”
From Sarah Biddy: “All one has to do is watch Coach Maxwell on a typical day at either campus to know that he genuinely loves Ensworth and our students. Whether it is a fist bump to a Lower School student or words of wisdom to an athlete on his team, his love of our school community is infectious. He is respected by many and has the vision to lead our program which has been so well established by Coach Bowers.”
From Megan Mitchell: “Having worked alongside Coach Bowers and Coach Maxwell for two decades, I can’t imagine any two people with more passion and love for Ensworth. Everyone who has met Coach Maxwell knows he embodies the Ensworth mission and vision. He has a magnetic personality and will be a true servant leader for the entire Ensworth community.”
Maxwell will begin his role on July 1, 2024.
