Breaking News: Asheville High's Danny Wilkins announces retirement

[COUGAR-90]

Yeah I'm sure other coaches are here on ncpreps going their posters are not loyal to their ASSISTANCE coaches I don't want that job! Give a break! There is not a fan base alive in high school, college or Pro where the every single fan is excited and doesn't have something to say about someone on the coaching staff!

Be honest. You've never even been to an Asheville game have you? Or perhaps you're one of those fans I'm talking about. Either way man, you need to slow your roll. There's no need to get so excited you leave half the words out of your sentences. And FWIW, you can get your point across without using multiple !!! after each sentence.

 

[volfan1219]

I'm really gonna stir everyone up now. I like coach Wilkins and believe it or not I have taken up for him many times! Nobody wants to hear this and I'm not trying to take anything away from what he has accomplished at Asheville he has been very good at Asheville as an assistant and head coach but let's face the facts that most Asheville supporters don't want to face! Asheville should beat Enka and North Buncombe every year they just have more athletes and football players and if I'm correct I do believe he did just that with only losing to those two schools once! Until recently they should have beat Erwin most years! Besides a few years here and there they should beat Roberson every year! Except for Reynolds they should beat most of the teams most years that have been in the conference and both Reynolds and Asheville have done that for the most part! The mac conference sucks in football period and with the playoffs being watered down like they are now makes it a little easier to win alot of games whether you want to believe it or not! I'm not trying to take anything away from what coach Wilkins has done at Asheville it has been a great time but all of that is fact!! There is not a top ten 3a program in the state that wouldn't win the majority of their games in that conference!

 

[AhsCougar1]

[QUOTE="volfan1219, post: 294523, member: 12 Asheville should beat Enka and North Buncombe every year, they just have more athletes and football players and if I'm correct I do believe he did just that with only losing to those two schools once! Until recently they should have beat Erwin most years! Besides a few years here and there they should beat Roberson every year! Except for Reynolds they should beat most of the teams most years that have been in the conference and both Reynolds and Asheville have done that for the most part! QUOTE]

I don't think there is any question that Asheville consistently has the most talent in the entire mountains of Western North Carolina. Obviously this isn't the case EVERY year, but if you were to take the 300 to 400 high school football teams in the mountains of Western North Carolina the last 15 years, I bet you 10 of the top 15 most talented rosters are Asheville rosters. No team in the entire state has had more NFL draft picks the last 21 years than Asheville high. Independence, Asheville and EE Smith all have had 5 nfl draft picks, but nobody has 6. Volfan is right, the MAC is an absolute joke of a football conference (aside for 3 teams). McDowell and Roberson have to beat each other to win a conference championship. That means you can go 1-10 and if that win is against McDowell or Roberson, you won the conference championship.
It will take a few teams to see how good the new coach is, but no coach in WNC will have as much talent to work with year in and year out than the coach of Asheville high over a decade worth of time. Unfortunately for Asheville, our talent hasn't always led us to as many wins as it should have, especially lately.

 

[owen98]

Since I know volfan, I will say he is a true fan of Asheville High and goes to almost every game every year. I have went to several Asheville games myself because of him. The difference is he is not a kiss butt fan. He has taken up for Wilkins many times with folks and I will say that in my eyes, Wilkins has done a great job managing personalities at Asheville and it will take someone very similar to do the job going forward. With that said he lost some games he shouldn't have. Ashbrook, Concord and Crest a couple years ago come to mind. Asheville could just as easily been 4 time champs rather than 1. Heck even 2 years ago vs Weddington shouldn't have happened. Asheville can beat most teams here without much coaching but once you get to the playoffs they need a coach because many teams east of the mountains have the same talent as Asheville, sometimes more.

 

[btango]

If you're in it for the paycheck you're in the wrong profession.

If you are a high school coach in NC you are obviously not in it for the money. When a coach has a wife and three children they have to look at the quality of life their family will have as compared to where they are at currently. That does not mean they are in for the paycheck but a man has to pay the bills and take care of his family.

 

[AhsCougar1]

High school football coaches are definitely underappreciated that's for sure.

 

[AhsCougar1]

OK now this is getting ridiculous.

 

[AHSDYNASY]

After Wilkins announced his retirement on Dec. 1, there was a joke going around that it would be March before a new coach was announced with the way the the administration and school board is in ACS. It is no longer a joke...

 

[AhsCougar1]

My dumb a** said, "I think the longer this takes the better" in early December. I no longer feel that way. There is a fine line between taking your time and taking forever. A friend of mine said "we will know in about a week who it's going to be".... That was two months ago.

 

[GG4BAMA]

Does anyone have any REAL news on what is taking the powers that be, so long to make a decision? I know anyone can speculate but I am waiting on someone with inside knowledge to shed some light on this crazy situation. I am not an Asheville fan by any stretch of the imagination but I do respect the hell out of their program. It has to be one of the longest coaching searches in High School history. I wonder if they are really doing their due diligence or just dragging their feet?

 

[COUGAR-90]

Does anyone have any REAL news on what is taking the powers that be, so long to make a decision? I know anyone can speculate but I am waiting on someone with inside knowledge to shed some light on this crazy situation. I am not an Asheville fan by any stretch of the imagination but I do respect the hell out of their program. It has to be one of the longest coaching searches in High School history. I wonder if they are really doing their due diligence or just dragging their feet?

Actually BAMA, I did give some real news. What I said about the decision making process was 100% accurate. The only other person on here that may be closer to the program and inside the board room meetings would be AHSDYNASY, if he's who I think he is. I can't help it if some of the guys on here don't like what I had to say, but it's accurate.
Go back and read what I said. It isn't popular, but I can promise you it's the truth.

 

[AHSDYNASY]

I'm not inside the board room meetings, but everything I have put on here are things I have heard from reliable sources. I do know that it is down to 3 candidates and has been for a couple weeks.

 

[AhsCougar1]

So "dragging their feet" would be the answer bama

 

[AhsCougar1]

I'm not inside the board room meetings, but everything I have put on here are things I have heard from reliable sources. I do know that it is down to 3 candidates and has been for a couple weeks.

Well it better be 3 high quality coaches. I wonder if one of those 3 is a current coach and they have been trying to figure out a way to cut the other 2 in order to give it to the current coach.
I am going to support whoever they put in that position, but if its not a big hire they will have done a terrible job in my opinion because I know for an absolute certainty that there have been some really big coaches to put in applications. One of which from Charlotte from a school with a HUGE reputation for winning.

I respect the hell out of all the current coaches on that Asheville High staff and I think they are all good people, but if they promote one of them to the head coaching position it will leave a lot of people scratching their heads seeing this whole "search" as a scam. Alot of the fans will be saying "with our talent, tradition and stadium, you are telling me the best head coach we could get is a guy who is already on the staff?" Choosing a coach currently on the staff would not only be cronyism, it would be settling in my opinion.

 

[theunknownfan]

Maybe they offered it to someone and they turned it down. We just assume if offered the job the applicant would take it. They have athletes and tradition in Charlotte too.

Coaches apply for jobs based off of traditions and stadiums but they take jobs based off of what is in the package. What is the stipend? Is this a 10, 11, or 12th month job? How many coaches work at the school? What does the weight room look like? Is there money to redo the weight room? Will I have any say on hiring of coaches/teachers? What is the relationship with the middle school? What are the practice facilities like? Equipment Room? Locker room? What is the operating budget? Does my wife want to move? Cost of living?

While these are questions we the fans don't worry about the next head coach does. If the coach does not feel like he is getting a better deal than he already has why would he leave.

 

[AhsCougar1]

You better have most of those questions answered before you submit that application

 

[theunknownfan]

Whether they were asked before or after the interview process the answers to those questions will turn some people off. I find it hard to believe that every candidate called the AD before hand to find all those questions out before applying. Some people might assume things are better than they are. And then when they get to see the picture up close and in person they might be turned off.

I am just speculating. In many cases when it takes a long time to find a coach it is because it has been offered and then some one turned it down because they had a second thoughts or found a better offer.

 

[AhsCougar1]

Well let me rephrase, if you have a wife and kids and you're from Georgia Charlotte or Wilmington you better run it by your wife before you apply lol. I can't imagine a coach coming up to Asheville high, seeing the stadium, locker room and weight room and being like "well now I'm not interested now that I see this dump in person.

 

[btango]

If the job is paying less than a coach is making now in a much lower cost of living area it is going to be a tougher pitch for AHS. From what I have seen Asheville is an expensive city to live in and the pay may not be enough to offset the cost.

May be it is going to be someone on staff?

 

[GG4BAMA]

Actually BAMA, I did give some real news. What I said about the decision making process was 100% accurate. The only other person on here that may be closer to the program and inside the board room meetings would be AHSDYNASY, if he's who I think he is. I can't help it if some of the guys on here don't like what I had to say, but it's accurate.
Go back and read what I said. It isn't popular, but I can promise you it's the truth.

Thanks. That helps give the rest of us that aren't privy to the inside a little more clarity on what is actually going on. I really hope you guys get a good coach. The games between ACR and Asheville are usually very good and I want that to continue.

 

[AhsCougar1]

That will never change bama. The teams are too equal in talent

 

[AhsCougar1]

I'm still hearing rumors about the coach out of Charlotte from a big time program down there. Key word "rumor".

 

[jcat12]

If you are coming from Charlotte, it is def. a pay cut, and the cost of living is def. higher.

 

[AhsCougar1]

BS Charlotte is incredibly expensive to live in. The biggest city in the carolinas is not a cheap area by any means. Also if Asheville is too expensive you can live in weaverville candler black mountain Leicester etc as it is more affordable.
At best the cost of living is a wash between Asheville and Charlotte

 

[btango]

I think you can get more for your money in Charlotte but that is just my opinion. I have friends that moved to Asheville from Charlotte and they thought the cost of living was more in the mountains but who knows. Pay differential may play into it. Not sure how they compare. I think CMS pays teachers more than most all districts.

 

[owen98]

A good argument for a coach coming from a Charlotte school to coach in Asheville is that Job security could be alot better here. Not having to play the likes of Butler, Indy, Mallard Creek and so on. If you coach in the Mac for Asheville. Beat ACR and Erwin and you have it made. Alot less stressful. Plus if you have kids, it is probably going to be a better overall environment for you kids to grow up in. Just my opinion and I am biased to the mountains but...

 

[jcat12]

BS Charlotte is incredibly expensive to live in. The biggest city in the carolinas is not a cheap area by any means. Also if Asheville is too expensive you can live in weaverville candler black mountain Leicester etc as it is more affordable.
At best the cost of living is a wash between Asheville and Charlotte

Cost of living according to Numero, is about 7% lower in Charlotte, factor in the fact you get paid more in Charlotte also, makes a difference,

 

[AhsCougar1]

Well maybe whoever is applying has a rich wife

 

[AhsCougar1]

Well I figured since our coaching search has become such a joke I would change the subject.
Here are the best teams Coach Wilkins had from best to worst in order. According to me.

1. 2004
2. 2014
3. 2002
4. 2005
5. 2003
6. 2007
7. 2009
8. 2011
9. 2003
10. 2001
11. 2013
12. 2006
13. 2010
14. 2008
15. 2015
16. 2012

Obviously I would expect some backlash but in my opinion these are the best teams wilkins ever coached in his 16 years at Asheville High.

 

[Steelers71]

Definitely cheaper to live in charlotte. And as a HC they are looking at where their kids will go to school, where their wife can find a job, etc. like was mentioned previously. It sucks as a coach who puts in a ton of time for you to have to live away from the school or community you work at b/c you can't afford to live there. And your kids have to go to potentially a different school district. That really puts a strain on the family.

 

[ShineTime]

I sure hope Asheville has a nice fish on the hook. If not, they could have already lost some highly qualified candidates. The former principal at Tuscola did this to a good coach. He left him hanging instead of making him an offer and instead he interviewed a coach that was coming off a 1-9 season at an out of state school. He actually made this coach an offer and got turned down. An experienced qualified coach will not wait forever. They want to get started and implement their program.

 

[AhsCougar1]

I gotta tell you, the longer this goes on, I'm getting the feeling that the people making these decisions don't know what in the hell they are doing. I cant think of any coaching search that has taken this long at any level of football. I honestly believed several months ago that Asheville could pretty much have its choice of big name coaches it wanted and I think if we were to settle on an inferior choice, that would be an absolute embarrassment. I remember in December when this thread started how people were saying "tons of guys will be applying for this job". Lets just say for the sake of the argument there were 30 guys that applied, I guarantee you at least 5 guys jumped off the page in terms of their qualifications. It will be a damn shame if after this long of a "search" we settle on someone while friggin North Henderson is makes a great and better hire. I just find it inconceivable that there hasn't been a clear favorite for this job that has a great case for getting this position.

 

[GG4BAMA]

I gotta tell you, the longer this goes on, I'm getting the feeling that the people making these decisions don't know what in the hell they are doing. I cant think of any coaching search that has taken this long at any level of football. I honestly believed several months ago that Asheville could pretty much have its choice of big name coaches it wanted and I think if we were to settle on an inferior choice, that would be an absolute embarrassment. I remember in December when this thread started how people were saying "tons of guys will be applying for this job". Lets just say for the sake of the argument there were 30 guys that applied, I guarantee you at least 5 guys jumped off the page in terms of their qualifications. It will be a damn shame if after this long of a "search" we settle on someone while friggin North Henderson is makes a great and better hire. I just find it inconceivable that there hasn't been a clear favorite for this job that has a great case for getting this position.

I agree. I think this is really starting to worry the Asheville faithful. If this were happening at ACR, I know I would be very worried. It seems looking in from the outside like someone in the main office is making a mockery of this process. I don't know if it is apathy or just ignorance of the importance of this hire for Asheville High.

 

[AHSDYNASY]

It comes down to the incompetence of the administration and school board. I guess they think hiring a football coach is like hiring a tennis coach? From what I understand, coach Wilkins is having to continue to do a lot of the offseason duties of a HC (schedules, ordering equipment, etc.) because they have waited so long and it was going to be too late for the new coach to get some things done.

 

[Packer10]

If they don't get a new coach soon they will probably have to keep the same offensive and defensive systems in place for the upcoming season.

 

[Pisgah Bears]

If they don't get a new coach soon they will probably have to keep the same offensive and defensive systems in place for the upcoming season.

Congratulation you just figured out who the next coach will be.

 

[AhsCougar1]

It comes down to the incompetence of the administration and school board. I guess they think hiring a football coach is like hiring a tennis coach? .

This is such a joke. Principal or not, she should have hardly any say whatsoever in who the final choice is. Whatever panel they have used so far has embarrassed themselves already. After all this crap they better make a good hire.

 

[COUGAR-90]

I gotta tell you, the longer this goes on, I'm getting the feeling that the people making these decisions don't know what in the hell they are doing..

Yeah, I tried to tell you guys this weeks ago, but everyone got butt hurt because I was taking up for our current coaching staff.
Wilkins retired before Christmas expressly to give the people at Central Office sufficient time to install a new coach quickly so the football program wouldn't suffer. Like I said before, I have zero confidence in the TWO PEOPLE responsible for hiring our new HC. And, like I said weeks ago, the TWO PEOPLE responsible don't give two squirts about football or any other sport in Asheville. Asheville is just a stepping stone to bigger and better jobs in Raleigh for both of them. As for our school board....well, one of them is from here. The rest were eating granola and twigs all over the country a few years ago.

Letting these TWO PEOPLE, that have been in Asheville for a combined 3 years pick our new head coach is tantamount to letting two villagers in Guatemala decide who our next US president will be. That being said, there is still a slim hope that they will somehow completely screw this up and actually hire a good coach. Either way, the new coach is already at a disadvantage coming in this late.

 

[AhsCougar1]

It SHOULDNT be as difficult as we are making it sound. If you are putting in an application for the job one would assume you are willing to take the job! Like I said, I guarantee you out of the 30+ candidates that applied at least 3 stood out. HIRE ONE OF THEM AND GET IT DONE!

 

[btango]

Until you are in the mix to get the job you will not know everything about it. That is why coaches often put in for a job only to later pull out even when they are the number one target.

I have had a coach tell me they wanted the job until they found out that the superintendent liked to discuss the starting lineups and strategies. Better to find out as much as you can and say no then to get there and realize it will not work out.