Cloudland's New Coach

[acdcfan]

Keith steps down as Cloudland's head football coach

By Wes Holtsclaw

SPORTS EDITOR

wholtsclaw@starhq.com

 

After three seasons, including a conference championship and a second round playoff appearance, Cloudland High School head football coach Gary Keith stepped down from the position Wednesday following a meeting with his players.

 

There were a couple of factors in Keith’s decision.

 

The Highlanders missed the playoffs for the first time in nine seasons, and just the third time since 1980, with a 2-8 record this fall. On top of that, his 26-year old son Lucas, a former Highlander football and baseball player, is serving with the Marines in a dangerous section of Iraq.

 

After attending a military funeral Tuesday with his wife, the stress of his son in the war on top of a losing season and pressure surrounding the Cloudland head coaching position was too much to handle.

 

“I didn’t put a whole lot of thought into the decision,” Keith said Thursday morning. “First of all, being a head coach is a stressful job to start with. Going 2-8 makes it even more stressful. Having your son in Iraq, (serving in those conditions) makes it harder.”

 

One of the soldiers that trained with his son recently lost his life in Iraq. Keith noted that a friend, who was a Vietnam veteran, passed away and Tuesday's funeral was hard on his wife.

 

Keith replaced current Hampton assistant coach Mike Lunsford following the 2003 football season after 24 seasons as an assistant coach at the high school. After going through emergency heart surgery that summer, the coach guided a Highlander team that several had given up on to the Mountain East Conference title in 2004.

 

A year ago, he led the ‘Landers to a second place finish in the conference with close losses to good football teams in Cherokee, Hampton and a second round playoff defeat to Coalfield, who returned most of the same kids this year and finished 10-0.

 

Cloudland lost nine senior starters following the season, and was basically in rebuilding mode this year. Injuries to main starters, including tailback Jordan Hughes, who much of the offense was designed for, played a factor in the team's record.

 

Keith noted that during his tenure as a coach at Cloudland, the program has had three losing seasons: one under John Orr, one under Mike Lunsford and this season under himself. Ironically, all three of those years ended with 2-8 records.

 

Orr and Lunsford both rebounded with a string of successful playoff runs.

 

It seems as though Keith wouldn’t have gotten the same opportunity with rumors of a petition to remove him from his position and pressure from the community throughout the season.

 

“Teaching is my job. Coaching is fun,” Keith said. “I enjoy coaching. This year, it wasn’t fun.”

 

Keith noted that he planned to coach football again in the future, perhaps returning to the sidelines as an assistant down the road once his son’s situation improves.

 

Following rumors of the petition, he wasn't sure if he could coach football in Roan Mountain again.

 

A longtime, successful agriculture teacher at the high school, Keith will remain the school’s softball coach.

Edited November 2, 2006 by acdcfan

[LanderSportsFan]

Good Luck to Coach Keith; his son and family will be in my prayers. I cannot imagine the stress that he has been under and his decision is understandable considering all the circumstances. Maybe his words today should make us all stop and think about what is going on in our world and pray for all these men and women serving our country.

 

Thanks Sportiemom about the info from Elizabethton Coffee Company. I am sure that they have many patrons who are not from the "city" but rather the "county." Maybe we should take this quote into consideration. I for one will.

[krichunaka]

KRICH, The resignation is NOT official. I know that from a very good source.

 

ADCDFan, Very good article. When did this story suddenly became "official?"

 

Sportiemom, I generally do most of my shopping in our home town; and I Like coffee. But let's just say, LanderSportsFan, makes a great point.

 

Coach Keith was in a near-impossible situation from the word Go. But I don't expect the Highlanders to wax nostalgic in pursuing his replacement.

 

Sportiemom can certainly relate, but I'll leave it to her to comment on her family's military history. But suffice it to say that it's Very Impressive. God Bless our Troops, and a Special prayer for Coach Keith and his son, Lucas.

 

I have a nephew in Iraq - - Marine Corps Major James Righter. His brother, Captain Richard Righter has been there a couple times. And there are several other close relatives. Coach Keith, Thank you, sir, for your family's sacrifice to our country.

[pujo]

All of this has to be extremely tough on Coach Kieth. He just may be the bull headedest feller I've ever seen, but the bottom line is ,he is a fine person. I know this has to be very toughand I'm not real sure ,Cloudland can do any better. Whoever takes this job will have to take it for the love of the game. Cloudland don't have alot to offer, we also need to find someone thats here for the long haul. Coaching at a school this size has alot of challenges and to be successful, you have to do alot of things right. The one good thing about this is ,most people in Roan Mt have a passion for football. The kids in this community live and breath football. I don't know if we could hire Terry Smith or not ,but he's the kind of guy, I'd want my kids playing for. I'd also like to see Kerry Buchanan in the weight room. Both of these guys have the kind of passion it takes to do something special. Both believe in hard work and disapline. But whatever we do , I hope we don't put a bandaid on a gash. Won't help a thing.

[CYJacket]

Petition to get rid of a Coach? I hate when that happens. Those that started that type of move should be ashamed. This is totally uncalled for in high school ball. I personally would never sign such a document.

[pujo]

Petition to get rid of a Coach? I hate when that happens. Those that started that type of move should be ashamed. This is totally uncalled for in high school ball. I personally would never sign such a document.

I was around the youth football all season, I never saw a petition. I'm lile you CY. I wouldn't have signed it either.

 

Speaking of youth football, How,s ole Hoss a doing. Little Jerry and his bunch went undefeated. We play in a great league, with us being the smallest school be far.

[cuda44069]

I think the petition thing was just another rumor someone had started.So many things went wrong this season with all the injuries and the lack of experienced players.Then you add in the unrest among the coaching staff and there were plenty of those rumors flying too.And you have an old school coach that is under alot of pressure to make something good happen with a young inexperienced team and then he has a son serving in iraq that alone would make it impossible to concentrate on coaching.I hope that anything i have said about coach keith's coaching ability was'nt taken personally,If they have then i offer my apoligies to him.I just dont like old school football ive seen so many of coach orr's teams lose alot of games due to their inability to generate enough offense to win a game they could have or should have won. im used to seeing cloudland running multiple offenses and dominating most of the teams they play.Good luck to coach keith and his family and God bless.

Edited November 3, 2006 by cuda44069

[hamptonbigdogs]

My prayers go out to Coach Keith and his family. He is a good coach and I hate to see this has happen to him and Cloudland.

[cuda44069]

I think cloudland needs to take their time and not make any hasty decisions on the coaching job. whoever they pick needs to be someone that believes in discipline and hard work and can get the kids out for football and in the weight room during the offseason,its going to take dedication from the players and coaches to get the program back on the right track.

[Appvol]

pujo if you are talking about Terry Smith that was at Avery I would have to say that Cloudland would have gold ball in future.

[pujo]

pujo if you are talking about Terry Smith that was at Avery I would have to say that Cloudland would have gold ball in future.

Thats the one, my kind of coach.I heard he was in Boone, with Avery on Cloudlands scheudule, I'd say he might take the job.

[Appvol]

That would be a great coach for Cloudland.He knows how to use every player on the field.I think Avery would of won last year if he would of still been the coach.