Mike Lunsford is returning to his roots.
Lunsford has been officially named the new head coach of the Cloudland football program after serving as the head coach at Hampton since 2009.
After weeks of speculation, the school system made the move official on Friday afternoon. Cloudland relieved Brock Pittman of his coaching duties in January.
Lunsford coached the Highlanders for 15 seasons before departing in 2003. The coach spent a season as an assistant with Avery County (N.C.) before moving to Hampton as an assistant. He took over as head coach in 2009 with the retirement of legendary J.C. Campbell.
During his time as Cloudland, Lunsford led the ‘Landers to a 136-40 record. The run included a state championship game in 2001 where Cloudland fell to Ezell Harding.
Since Lunsford left Cloudland, the program has saw four head coaches including an interim coach prior to Pittman’s arrival in Roan Mountain.
At Hampton, the Bulldogs tallied a 66-15 record with Lunsford at the helm, including the coach’s 200th overall victory this past season. Hampton reached the state semifinals this season with a 13-1 mark.
Lunsford will also serve as an assistant for the girls’ basketball program, a role he stepped into early January.
Nothing official has been set, but sources confirm to CarterCountySports.com that the main choice to succeed Lunsford at Hampton is Michael Lunsford. The school will go through the hiring process including listing the position for 10 days on the Carter County Schools website.
