Just won his 4th straight state title in South Carolina as Dutch Fork beats Dorman in overtime 34 to 31 on a TD pass. I have to ask is there any better High School coach in the entire country than Knotts? I think he is the best there is in the country.
Tommy Knotts
- Thread starter Powidz
- Start date
18 state title game appearances.
Four different schools.
12 state champions.
3 different schools.
37 years as a head coach.
Four different schools.
Four different schools.
12 state champions.
3 different schools.
37 years as a head coach.
Four different schools.
His record certainly speaks volumes. He is one of the all time greats and I think he should get a ton of credit for creating the culture for Charlotte football. He set a new bar for this state.
I will say this. I only saw DF once this year in the Creek game so it is admittedly a snap shot but outside of Hyatt and Olenchuk that was maybe the 3rd or 4th most talented team I saw. Outside of the first and last game he rolled everyone this year. Amazing coach.
Btango I know Knotts lost the title game to Garner while he coached Harding. I know he beat Douglas Byrd one year while at West Charlotte to win the title. But what other years did he reach the state title game while at West Charlotte. I think it was at least two other years at West Charlotte. Thanks
Would say it is between him and McKissick for greatest coach in the Carolinas. Might give TK the benefit with success at so many different places. He still wearing shorts each week?
Big John ride the Summerville wave for 62 years. Think he was more of a figurehead than a football coach for many of his last seasons.
Can see that happening. Amazing he kept it up so long like Joe Pa or Boeheim at Syracuse basketball.
Another coach I've heard a lot about that ranks among the greats is Bobby Poss. Hopefully I spelled it right. I believe he turned several programs around and won state titles with all of them. Everywhere he went he won. Someone else might know more about him.
I am not for sure if the name is spell correct neither but yes he was a great coach if we talking about the same one he coach at south view I think in the early 90s
I think so
heck it may have been ac Reynolds I was thinking of . I will try to do some research and let you know if I find anything
heck it may have been ac Reynolds I was thinking of . I will try to do some research and let you know if I find anything
Bobby Poss is from Indiana originally I do believe. Retired in Asheville area now.
He won state titles at 71st (2, one a co championship due to tie with Page), South View, and AC Reynolds (2). All except the second ACR title were presubdived 4A while second one at ACR was small 4A.
HC for 25 years. 227-73 lifetime record. Crazy thing he never had an undefeated season but had several close seasons of percection.
He won state titles at 71st (2, one a co championship due to tie with Page), South View, and AC Reynolds (2). All except the second ACR title were presubdived 4A while second one at ACR was small 4A.
HC for 25 years. 227-73 lifetime record. Crazy thing he never had an undefeated season but had several close seasons of percection.
Did not read it all
but the name spelling is correct
He coach at south View 1991
Ac Reynolds’s 1999-2002
Made it in the NCHSAA in 2018
but the name spelling is correct
He coach at south View 1991
Ac Reynolds’s 1999-2002
Made it in the NCHSAA in 2018
Another coach is Allen Brown......I definitely know him. My Forest Hills Yellow Jackets might have won more state titles if we hadn't run into Allen's Thomasville Bulldogs. Four straight years we ran into them deep in the NC 2A playoffs and lost. Couple times close and couple were butt whoopings. I could tell in those four games I witnessed that Allen knew how to adjust on the run and that was the sign of a great coach. Anytime we found a weakness they adjusted and we lost. Drove me crazy because we had great teams. We'd play anyone on any level and win but when we met Thomasville........we'd lose.
TK=GOAT
There have been several great coaches over the years in NC football. But, what he has done across two states now building dynasties at DF and Indy separates him from all the others IMO. Bobby Poss is closest because of his success at 71st, South View, and AC Reynolds. I think he won 4 state titles across the 3 schools. TK is just on a different level. Truly amazing.
There have been several great coaches over the years in NC football. But, what he has done across two states now building dynasties at DF and Indy separates him from all the others IMO. Bobby Poss is closest because of his success at 71st, South View, and AC Reynolds. I think he won 4 state titles across the 3 schools. TK is just on a different level. Truly amazing.
Yes Poss was definitely great. Prior to arriving at 71st in 1980 I believe he coached in the Raleigh area at Apex or was an assistant there at least. 71st was really down prior to him arriving and around that time they were physically a very small team. He turned them into an offensive juggernaut without great size and it was all in the running game. He utilized several RBs and his QB could always burn you with a QB keeper. It was amazing the success they had with only the run. They would get 5 or 6 yards rushing every play it seemed and just keep the chains moving and break one or two long TD runs each game as well. They were so confident in their running game and ability to pick up positive rushing yards on each play that they would never even kick extra points after TDs. After each TD they would line up and rush for a 2 point conversion and were successful in doing that probably 90 percent of the time. I've never seen a team on any level of HS, college, or pro go for two point conversions like that. They did it every time because they had such confidence in their rushing game to pick up positive yardage each and every play no exceptions.
Another coach who deserves alot of credit for sustained excellence is the coach whom Knotts beat Saturday for the SC state title, Gutshell from Dorman. Between Dorman and his time at Burlington in NC I believe he has 12 state title game appearances. I can't remember if he was at Cummings or William's in Burlington because I always get those 2 schools confused.
Gutshall was at Cummings where he was 3-1 in title games. Is 2-4 at Dorman. Crazy but he has been at Dorman 26 years. Head Coach ten years at Cummings and four at Madison Mayodan.
His teams at Cummings were light years ahead of the competition and really brought the passing game into the mix in NC.
His teams at Cummings were light years ahead of the competition and really brought the passing game into the mix in NC.
Appreciate the love for coach Brown....he was the man,so many times I witnessed his greatness at in game adjustments it was amazing...I remember those Tville/FH playoff games...FH always played us really tough,I was always nervous before those games because I knew what Forrest hills brought to the table
I always heard before those FH/Thomasville games that the winner would probably take the state title. Unfortunately my Jackets always lost. Lol
You can only play the teams on your schedule. Bob Colvin won 11 state titles and 77% of his games. David Gentry won 5 state titles and 413 games. Marion Kirby won 4 state titles and 79% of his games. Poss won twice at 71st, twice at AC Reynolds and at least once at South View. State has been blessed with some studs.
Not sure what the first sentence is really directed at.
Listed info for Poss above. The discussion was about winning titles at different schools. There is a long list of multiple titles at the same school. Six of the champions Saturday were repeats at the school for the coach.
I know it is 1A ball, but Bob Colvin at Robbinsville 1966 -1985 teams won an amazing 16 Smoky Mountain 1-A Conference championships and 11 NCHSAA titles. David Gentry at Murphy (1983- Present) 416-196-3 and 8 NCHSAA Titles should be in the running too.
The originator of the thread was talking about coaching success. Neither his/her first post or the title had any qualifiers about limiting discussion to success at multiple schools. You are the one who introduced success at multiple schools but that doesn't automatically change the point of the thread or prohibit discussion outside of your wishes. I was simply pointing out some darn good coaches. The first sentence was an inoculation against the normal theme that anything other than 4AA is worthless.
Not at all in my opinion. I consider David Gentry a friend and I am a big fan! His Murphy teams won in 2A, also. More impressive is they won a lot of titles prior to subdividing.
Regarding non 4A schools, 1A had less than 30 football playing schools in the classification prior to 1985. One year I think there were 25. Three game playoff. During the 1970's 2A and 3A had around 100 and 4A in the seventies usually. There was also the WNCHSAA which had 34 teams in about 17 counties the last year it existed in 1976.
Point made. I took this to a different place. Knotts is unique with multiple schools and two states. David Gutshall but only two schools total with more years and less titles. As the money gets better in other states we may see more successful coaches exit NC before thirty years or definitely at thirty.
How many coaches in NC have won a title at two schools? There are some but not a lot.
How many coaches in NC have won a title at three schools? Bobby Poss is the only one I can think of.
This is my opinion, staying at the same high school for twenty or thirty years and winning is super impressive but winning at multiple schools takes it to a different level. Also, in my opinion, winning titles presubdivided playoffs was more impressive. Everyone celebrates a championship but there was no question on Saturday who the best team was in the classification and very few give me games and the odds were cut in half.
We agree on most, especially coach Knotts and Poss. I know Coach Gentry and I also knew Coach Babe Howell. I also, although prejudiced, think Coach Pee Wee Hamilton has a heck of a coach.
for the record, I'm saying I am prejudiced because I knew him and not suggesting he was prejudiced
So, perhaps the WNCHSAA had as much or more credibility as the 1A schools at one point in time. Imagine that! But they get no recognition from most folks.
I stand by my position that there were no true state champions until the merger of all the schools.
WNCHSAA may have very well had the best “3A” team in the state some seasons. Some schools in the “Western Association” were equal to 2A schools (BC, Cherryville, et al).
Lexington and especially Salisbury were very strong in the WNCHSAA but struggled mightily when they were shuttled out to the NCHSAA 4A due to increases in enrollment.
I know in '54 we beat Reidsville and they know I scored but back then you didn't argue with the refs. Long time and still stings.