Gil Maxwell is the new face of Thomasville football

[All-out_34]

Gil Maxwell has been an assistant football coach for 3 years, and head basketball coach for 2 years. Now he will take over as the new head football coach at Thomasville High School. Maxwell has 6 seasons experience as a head football coach, and has sent several players to college and the NFL. He has over 20 years of football experience and will be interesting to see if the transition will lead to Thomasville football being back on top soon.

 

[collegegrad42]

I think once again, the Thomasville administration dropped the ball. I do not know if they did not have a lot of interest or what, but I believe there were better candidates out there. I imagine the Thomasville faithful are not happy about this.

 

[ocdavis31]

I understand there were more applicants this time than last. Apparently, at least 50 last time.

 

[bigtime_87]

Good coach with ties to the local community or Thomasville/Davidson County. I wish him the best!

 

[THSDOGclass01]

80 applicants was the number I was told.

As far as the new coach, judging from the shape of the boys basketball program since he has taken over, doesn't give me much hope for the football program.

 

[btango]

80 applicants is more than double what Richmond County has received.

 

[ITJ]

Originally posted by btango:
80 applicants is more than double what Richmond County has received.

Mike Duprez of the Lexington Dispatch reports there were 107 applicants.

 

[ocdavis31]

Thomasville is still a very attractive job. I completely understand why they decided to stay in-house. More than anything else, what all of the athletic programs need right now is stability and discipline. There is a lot of talent. Coach Maxwell is a good man. He has tried to instill the discipline needed in basketball with mixed reviews. I believe the key may be who is hired to complement an excellent staff.

Again, my job as a fan is to wish him the best and help in any way I can.

 

[All-out_34]

I think that Maxwell will do a good job running the football program. He has former Davidson County ties, when he was head football coach at Ledford Senior. I think his decision to remain the basketball coach still is confusing, as it will be almost impossible to effectively run both programs. Bare i think made the smart move keeping it within the Bulldog family and hiring a familiar face to Thomasville.

 

[OldDawgFan]

107 applicants and this is the best we come up with? This same head basketball coach let players who literally walked off the team in the fourth quarter of a game return to the team a couple games later. If this is the kind of discipline we are getting then we are in more trouble. We need someone who is not afraid of losing the entire team if they don't want to do right on and off the field. But that ain't gonna happen because W's is what it is all about I don't care what you say about it.

The poster who said on another thread that this AD and administration does not want any Brown influence anymore told the story. It's about who is liked, not who will take a stand. School is losing control anyway with gang fights

 

[CoachSHS]

Just because you have 100 applicants doesn't mean you have 100 GOOD applicants. You guys need to all relax a little bit and let the man do his damn job.

 

[tvillefan]

OldDawgFan you are hitting the nail on the head with your post. DAVIDSON COUNTY likes this hire because he is a "good man" with Davidson County ties. Anybody that lives in the community or from the community know that there is Thomasville and there is everyone else. This was a buddy/buddy hire. The man was given a decent Ledford team in a god awful conference and was successful one year. Then went to a miserable Alleghany program and left it worse than when he got there(record wise). I hear nothing but good things about the person and we can accept that. But putting this program back on the right track is not the intentions of anyone from what it looks like. He has little control over these players as the last coach. He only survived basketball season because he hired some of the guys AAU coaches. And regardless of 107 applicants this job was given to him well over a month ago. And that is a fact!!!!!!! Thomasville could never keep secrets. They just couldn't justify the hire.

 

[THSDOGclass01]

Folks, am I the only one who can't figure out this choice. The biggest on the field accomplishment is a Central Carolina Confrence title at Ledford in 2001, I'm curious what his overall win loss record is.

Out of 107 applicants there surely had to be other options. The new administration has basically ruined a program in a few short years, a program that took decades to build.

 

[Slasher Killer]

Originally posted by THSDOGclass01:
Folks, am I the only one who can't figure out this choice. The biggest on the field accomplishment is a Central Carolina Confrence title at Ledford in 2001, I'm curious what his overall win loss record is.

Out of 107 applicants there surely had to be other options. The new administration has basically ruined a program in a few short years, a program that took decades to build.

His win loss career record is 29-66.He was 17-9 at Ledford in 2 years, as 11-46 at Alleghany from 2002-2007, and 1-11 at North Wilkes in 2009. That North Wilkes team went 0-11 that year before making the playoffs due to a forfeit from Forbush and had to play Albemarle.

 

[ocdavis31]

The program needs stability, and I believe this was the only way to avoid a mass exodus of assistants. I think the veteran football assistants are a far cry from the average AAU volunteer assistant.
I understand why this is a puzzling choice for many people. But I've said it before. The school system all the way to the top needs to recognize that athletics is a privilege, not simply a way to keep kids in school. Yes, sports can change attitudes and even change lives. But actions, on or off the field, must have consequences. Even if it means a couple more losing seasons. If the football and basketball programs can weather that storm, they'll be fine.
Losing a few kids is unfortunate. But providing a safe, respectful learning environment is far more important.....on and off the field. I hope that, collectively, the staff has the support to do what is right, all the way from the field to the school board.

This post was edited on 4/17 7:56 PM by ocdavis31

 

[Buddy Rich]

Just want to say how much I miss the great Thomasville/Albemarle battles back in the early 2000's. Great, great games between 2 outstanding teams. Since then both programs have come upon hard times. I wish the best For Thomasville but I will never forget those epic struggles between the two. Great memories!!!!!

 

[ocdavis31]

I suspect that's one sentiment that all of the Blue Dogs and Red Dogs can agree on, Buddy. Someday, maybe.

 

[OldDawgFan]

tville fan actually you hit the nail on the head better than me! This was a buddy/buddy hire and it was given to him over a month ago.

But OC I have to agree with you on safety. Track record on discipline needed to be looked at as well. I did not see it on basketball team. Too much favoritism, not enough discipline, is what I hear. Guess I need to go see for myself though before I make judgment.

 

[ocdavis31]

Lack of discipline was an issue in basketball. Hopefully, if Coach Maxwell chooses to retain the basketball job, he will have some mature, faculty assistants. And, in both jobs, the latitude to dismiss players from the team, if necessary. The coaches, the AD and the principal need to make those decisions and receive full support from the central office and school board. Often, as fans, we know the decisions, but not the how, why, or even who made them. It isn't always as it appears on the surface.

 

[All-out_34]

Maxwell can't stay the basketball coach and be the football coach. It will create more problems than I think Thomasville is ready for. I think maybe it wasn't the best hire for the football program, but I think it was a bad decision from a schools athletic standpoint. No way you can successfully run 2 programs at a high level together like that

 

[LuvMyDawgs86]

This hire was a joke.


There is no way this guy is the best of 107 applicants. As for the AD; no way this guy could be an AD in a "Real World" scenario. The boys basketball uniforms from this season is enough evidence to disqualify both of these clowns. Where else can you become the Head Football coach at a school with 7 State Championships, when you're the basketball coach, wilth an overall losing record? Coach Blue, not being the Head Basketball coach says it all. My confidence in Maxwell as Head Football coach is very low. A real search committee would have recruited a coach from winning programs, like Reidsville, Cummings, Shelby, Dudley, Northern Guilford, Clinton, Andrews, Central, etc. Do you know how weak the CCC was in 2001? Ledford? Football? Remember these two words; EAST DAVIDSON.

 

[TVILLEDAWG2370]

This really hurts me to say,but I believe this once very proud football program,has seen it's better days behind them,one of the most storied football programs in all of NC is crumbling to the ground

 

[sammyk]

Things do change, all you have to do is look to some of the schools neat Thomasville. Lexington, Parkland, Glenn, NE Guilford, Davie County RJ Reynolds, if you look around the state, Anson County, Albemarle, Burns, Hickory Williams, Cummings, . One time all winning programs. Demographics change and sometimes coaching has nothing to do with it, sometimes the well runs dry. Now on to the new guy at Thomasville, I say give him a few years, it is not like he has taken over a state champion team here, Thomasville has been struggling for a few years now so give him a few and see. He may be awesome he may be awful but he will at least need 4 years to install his system. After that if there is no improvement then judge

 

[reddawg01]

Sammyk, you're right, things do change but this hire was still a joke!!! In my opinion so was the hire last year! We can give him a few years but at the end of those few years it will still be a joke!

 

[Rameses]

I can tell you this, the other schools in the CCC are very happy with this hire. When I was told by a Thomasville fan that this was going to happen,I told the guy "you're crazy" and he said "wait and see". When it was official we both just got a good chuckle out of it. His reply, "It's official, Thomasville has completely given up on football."

 

[new_dawg]

Maxwell was the head coach at Ledford some time back. How did he do in his time there?

 

[bigtime_87]

He did well, but was only there for a year or two. He had some strong talent in that one Senior class and they won 9-10 games that year if I recall correctly.

 

[TVILLEDAWG2370]

Never would have imagined that a Ledford coach would EVER be the head man at a football program like tville,it just boggles my mind,tville is light years away from ever competing for a state title again.

 

[All-out_34]

Only time will really tell how good of a hire it will be. Program can't get much worse so he has to improve it some

 

[#1-THS]

That guy must have presented one hell (pardon the language) of a convincing speech at his interview for this job because his resume is squat. I agree with LMD86, AD at best. There is no way you going to convince me or most of the Thomasville people out of 107 people vying for this position that this is the best there was, no way, shape or form. Whomever said buddy hire has most likely hit that nail on the head. If he last 3 years and proves us all wrong, I'll be the first to admit I was in error, but I don't really believe it's going to happen. I know people will say lets get behind him and support him and give him a chance give him 3 years to prove himself, isn't that what resumes are for, to do just that. At least with Mattera, he had one, (resume) even though his heart remained in the east. This guy has nothing but, he's a good guy. We don't just need a good guy anymore here, we need a leader, a believer, and a good proven coach, not a back scratching buddy system coach that makes the people on Turner Street happy that seems to be going on here. Nevertheless, I will still attend and support because I have no choice. I feel so so bad for these kids who have such a great group coming through and an unproven coach to toy with them, so sad, Go 'Dog.

 

[bigtime_87]

A big resume' does not mean success. This guy has been coaching football for a long time and knows the game. Why don't you guys give him a chance and quit assuming it will be a complete fail. A once powerful program can return to dominance, but the boys have to get the job done on the field. Half of those 107 were probably trash resume's from the internet from all over the place. As far as the comment about a Ledford coach being in charge at Thomasville. You guys would have done yourself a favor to have landed Chris Adams or a couple of those veteran guys he has over there. They are winning against a very competitive schedule with much less athletic kids. Dickie was an LHS coach, infact, I believe the only two NFL players from the Davidson County area within the last decade or so came out of LHS (Dickie Cline) era.

 

[tvillefan]

Lol Ledford fans

 

[#1-THS]

A big resume' does not mean success. This guy has been coaching football for a long time and knows the game. Why don't you guys give him a chance and quit assuming it will be a complete fail. A once powerful program can return to dominance, but the boys have to get the job done on the field. Half of those 107 were probably trash resume's from the internet from all over the place. As far as the comment about a Ledford coach being in charge at Thomasville. You guys would have done yourself a favor to have landed Chris Adams or a couple of those veteran guys he has over there. They are winning against a very competitive schedule with much less athletic kids. Dickie was an LHS coach, infact, I believe the only two NFL players from the Davidson County area within the last decade or so came out of LHS (Dickie Cline) era.

You say he's been coaching for a long time and knows the game, but with a meager 29-66 small resume' how is that really knowing the game and showing reassurances to anyone that he truly does know what he's doing.
We heard all the same things last year. At least that guy had fire and proof to back up his getting the job. No behind the door handshaking going on with him. I don't care if there wasn't but 10 of those 107 vying for the job truly able to get the job done, I'll bet all 10 had proof to back up their claims as to why and how they could do it, not just that I won 17 games in 2 seasons at Ledford and lost all the rest of the time. I will back and support him cause he is our coach as I said in my last post, but I don't have to like it or be happy about it or agree with it because we all with any common sense, which is the majority here knows there was something fishy with that hire. GO 'DOGS

 

[OldDawgFan]

Never in the last 50 years of Thomasville football have we had a coach with a losing record. Unless Benjie did when he came (not sure on that one). Even the last 4 seasons when everyone says the numbers and athletes were down, Coach Brown still was able to compile a 32-20 record which is a 62% winning percentage and he should have gotten coach of the year those seasons with what he had

I have head through the grapevine that Roger Bryant is now coming back and that possibly coach Brown will make himself available for advice. If the new hire utilizes those 2 minds then we still have a chance but the players will still not be controlled like they were with Brown. The new hire is liked by the players I hear but not by the parents or the community because he is a butt hole to everybody

 

[ocdavis31]

In the last fifty years, there have been five teams with an overall losing record. Obviously, last year was one of them.
The other four were under Coach Allen Brown. They were: 1975 (4-6), 1981 (4-6), 2012 (6-8) and 2013 (5-7). Probably should be an asterisk beside those last two due to the non-conference schedule.

I have some of the same concerns that other posters do. But, if it's true that Roger and Nick will return (much less the possible part-time participation of Allen), then this is probably the right hire for the present. Hopefully, there will also be success long-term.
The success on the field will largely be up to the players. That success is only possible if the administration allows the coaches to set a high bar for conduct on and off the field. The team's lack of success the last few years has been far less about talent than about penalties and off-field distractions. It's up to the coaches to be good role models. They should be able to expect.....no, demand, stellar conduct on the field, in the classroom, and in the community. Only those who meet that expectation should wear the uniform.
If you doubt what I'm saying, ask yourself this......if Thomasville had avoided the personal foul and unsportsmanlike conduct penalties, do you really think that the 'Dogs would have lost to East, Lexington and Salisbury last year? Before you answer, look up the scores.

 

[reddawg01]

Ocdavis, my answer to your question particularly in the east game is yes! I know what the score was and I remember the penalties in that game but I also think that some people fail to realize that even before the penalty when Thomasville took the lead they went very conservative, almost as to say "hey bud, we are in coaches fellowship together and I know Thomasville has ran the score up on you in the past but now this is new Thomasville football" not thinking that the guys on the other side of the field still wanted to win. I could be wrong but that's how I felt at the game at that moment and that's still how I feel now. Also backing my reasoning for that is this, do we not remember #23 breaking loose for about an 80 yard td on first play from scrimmage and getting it called back and then #22 taking it back down the field the very next play and neither of them touched the ball or even got in on offense the rest of the game? I've said this before and I'll say it again the kids get blamed more than they should in some cases and this is one of them.

 

[ocdavis31]

Your memory of the plays is better than mine. By no means am I saying that nothing besides attitude issues contributed to the losses. I honestly don't know the answers, but my questions would be, why was the TD called back, and did either do anything to result in not playing offense any more? But candidly, the last three Thomasville coaches would have cut at least four or five Thomasville players loose long before now. Even five years ago, Allen would have done that. But, at the end, I don't believe he had enough numbers or the administrative support to make those calls. That needs to change.