Not a bit surprised. I figured he would have left last year due to wasted that year was, but he stayed on due to that senior class and the state kid after he had his miraculous recovery. He always had the gimmicky offenses but he was lucky enough to have athletes good enough to pull it off. Their #'s have been bad for a few years though. In 2019 they barely had 20 on varsity. He's never had any luck getting kids out there. This year they had a decent amount but he played the same ones to death mainly seniors. Their JV's weren't good at all; it honestly surprised me they rebounded to 500 after how bad us and East throttled them. He knows what was coming and got out in time to finish with a rose instead of a turd.
I wouldn't call Hunt the favorite at all, he will apply for it though. Honestly after how bad his run at West Wilkes ended he shouldn't be considered for a job for a while. That program got nuked so bad it took 3 head coaches to fix it, and they still have ways to go even if they have some good talent there. New guy's the best HC they've had in decades. That's the last thing WC needs.
Here's who I think will go for it most likely to surprise candidate:
1.NW's Head Coach. They will be trending downward hard this year as all their seniors are gone and they much younger than what they have been. It's gonna be rough for whoever it is. They haven't won a JV game in 2 years since Spring of 2021. I don't recall this dude ever attending a JV game either in both years we've played him; kinda shows a lot by that. I got the vibe in 21 instantly that he was using this job as a springboard for something else. Prob this one to be honest. I'll be 100% surprised if he doesn't end up at WC. They have the talent to match his razzle dazzle offense. That being said time will tell if he's the hotshot good HC everyone says he is or if he's benefited from good talent when he arrives at the school. Given his JV attendance record or lack their of he never intended to stay long term at NW. I'll be surprised beyond words if he does.
2. Wilmoth at EW. He wants a bigger job he's made that well known, he applied and made NS's final 4 last year. East's good senior class is gone and they will have to rebuild. It would be a perfect time to go. If he doesn't now he probably will once Southern retires at SC.
3. Pardue at Elkin. Again unless he wants the Elkin job I think he'll try to go for this. All things considered he did a solid job at Walkertown. That cluster-mess of his final season there doesn't show what all he did. He took then to the 1AA finals in 2015 and won the NW in '16. While McKoy had more successes in his short run there, Pardue's run was more healthier and honestly better. He made it deeper and didn't leave the program so toxic. He's a classy dude, and one of the nicest HC's I've met. Unless he loves the AD job there or wants Wood's job when he retires I wouldn't be surprised if he goes for it.
4. Chris Johnson. I doubt he will go for it due to the travel length from MA where he lives, but he's the best HC to get if a program's in a pickle. He brought stability to both schools he worked at when they needed it. Forbush was nuked and badly needed a hand to get them going and he did. West wise he was left scraps by UpChurch and had an awful conference but made the most of it and got a JV title this past year. He'd do wonders for WC and would make them more physical. But again I don't see it. If NW comes open he'd be perfect for that job. They still might would be awful but they'd be way better fundamentally than what they have been.
If they stay inside with Hunt it won't go to well; he did a meh job at best at West Wilkes and his last year was such a nightmare the program got nuked and it took 3 followup HC's to fix it. WC doesn't want or need that. Cannon woulda worked a in 2014 but he's close to being done himself. Best bet is someone from the outside. Question is do they prefer someone close to the situation a few miles down the road or a total outsider? Whoever gets it will have to rebuild but realignment's in two years. That might give them a life jacket. We will see late this year I guess.
