By Kevin Spradlin
PeeDeePost.com
Raiders football coach Paul Hoggard is leaving Richmond Senior High School after seven seasons and will take over at Holmes High School in Edenton.
The Chowan County Board of Education approved Hoggard’s hiring earlier today.
Hoggard guided the Raiders to an 11-2 record last season. The Raiders fell 28-27 to Millbrook in a Class 4AA second-round playoff game after a potential perfect season was cut short by rival Scotland in both teams’ regular season finale.
In seven seasons, Hoggard’s teams have compiled a 75-18-1 record, according to MaxPreps.com
Taking over for coach Ed Emory for the 2008 season, Hoggard and the Raiders posted a 12-3-1 record for the Class 4AA state championship — the school’s seventh state title since 1978 and first since 1998.
Hoggard will coach Class 2A John A. Holmes High School in Edenton, in Chowan County. Under coach Jim Collins, the Aces went 11-3 last season but lost in a third-round playoff game to Clinton.
Hoggard will be the team’s fourth coach in as many seasons despite the Aces posting a 35-8 record over the past three years.
Raiders Athletics Director Ricky Young said Hoggard would be difficult to replace.
“Obviously we hate to see Paul go,” Young said. “Paul’s a class act. He’s a great example or the kids he coaches. He’s a positive role for his players” and for the school and community.
Young said Hoggard notified school administrators “about a week ago” that he could be making a change. There has been no move to replace him but Young said a search committee will meet as soon as next week.
“We’d like to move quickly” in hiring a new coach, Young said, but “whoever gets the job is gonna have big shoes to fill.”
Despite public pressure that comes with a program with seven state championships, Young knows the program has its selling points.
“I think the program’s history will speak a lot for itself,” Young said. “You’ve got good support from the district (and) school administration and the community. That’ll be a big selling point for the job.”
Discussion