Tom Knotts leaving for Dutch Fork High in Columbia

I'm trying to find the numbers. I saw something recently that indicated that North Carolina in the past 5 years has produced something like the 6th or 7th most Division I Football players in the nation. I can't recall where I read it but I'm gonna find it.

 

Mint Hill High gonna thin that area out pretty good next season.

 

That might be a factor in his decision. Not only will they start getting talent from Independence (and Butler), but their facilities will be far superior to both schools. I think Knotts was tired of seeing many of the new schools get great stadiums, weight rooms, and locker rooms while the 'original' high schools in the area were left with old and outdated facilities.

 

I agree, but to have the opportunity to double your salary and start the clock on another state retirement; well, I'm surprised more don't try to do this. We already have SC coaches coming here to start another retirement (5 years vested.)

SC may not be too good in their edjamacashun, but they know how to take care of their coaches.

Coach High School County Salary, not including AD salaries

Freddie Brown Spartanburg Spartanburg $95,542.00
David Gutshall Dorman Spartanburg $87,571.00
John Barrett York York $86,057.00
Chris Miller Byrnes Spartanburg $85,480.00
Joseph Montgomery Rock Hill York $83,866.00
Jimmy Woods Timmonsville Florence $82,530.00
Kenneth Schofield Great Falls Chester $81,136.00
John Turner Clover York $80,893.00
Bennie McMurray Lancaster Lancaster $80,537.00
Mark Cagle White Knoll Lexington $79,778.00
Robert Carroll South Pointe York $79,529.00
Greg Lawson Laurens Laurens $79,000.00
Tommy Brown Orangeburg-Wilkinson Orangeburg $78,367.00
J.R. Boyd Lamar Darlington $78,245.00
Todd Staley Broome Spartanburg $78,069.00
Mark Clifford Beaufort Beaufort $76,883.00
Paul Sorrells Sumter Sumter $76,722.00
Robert Briggs Manning Clarendon $76,540.00
Tyronne Davis Georgetown Georgetown $75,536.00
Michael Moss Blacksburg Cherokee $75,192.00

 

Oh, i think the primary driver was financial...and I don't blame him. He has always been limited in what he could make in NC, but he loved coaching here and was willing to put in his time to get his full pension and then move on. I always figured he would put in his 30 years and look for an opportunity to go to SC or GA. Heck, he had already turned down bigger money from N Myrtle Beach High and Valdosta High in the past.

 

Knotts

Here are the facts:

1. Tom Knotts is the most successful coach in modern day Charlotte-Mecklenburg football. The numbers speak clearly that nobody else has been in his league in the state of North Carolina at the 4A level in the past 10 years and maybe the last 20+ (you could present a weak case for Richmond County but I would disagree).

2. For the past 5 years, 05-09, Butler has had superior talent but only surpassed Indy this year. That is probably the greatest achievement of Knotts, beating a superior Butler team over this period.

3. Knotts doesn't recruit. If you have a book written about you being on of the top programs and win as much as he has, parents find you. Kids live out of district in the real world all the time. That does not make ANY coaching staff AUTOMATICALLY guily. If the school has knowledge, then yes, guilty. When he was winning at Harding and West Charlotte, I am sure that players did what they had to do to play for Knotts. I assure anyone that knows anything about the schools that they are not high income schools where parents can just move. LeMay moved from Porter Ridge to Butler after his freshman year. Did Newsome recruit? I don't think so. I think LeMay's parents realized that the situation was better to realize his potential. Same thing. If anyone is going to cry that he recruits, look at Byrnes in the mirror. Same situation, winning tradition, and national exposure make your student want to play there. No, I don't think they recruit either.

4. SC football is about to change. Knotts will bring out the most in the players. If they don't win, it will be because they don't have the talent or the drive but I will say that his impact will be immediate.

Here are my opinions:

1. Chris Leak's junior year and Joe Cox's senior year were two of the best HS teams nationally of the decade. No disrespect to other teams, but they were the most dominant teams I have ever seen. With all the D1 talent of Byrnes this year, they couldn't beat Dorman and Aquinas (rated 1 most of the year) lost as well.

2. SC football is not superior to NC foorball. There is a larger following but I think Butler would have beaten Dorman this year. SC may have more depth top to bottom but I would be interested to see how well any SC team would do in the SW4A week in and week out just as I would like to see how well a SW4A team would do in/around Spartanburg.

3. Knotts will not come back to NC to coach. Why would he give up the ability to make the money he is making? There are many programs that would want Knotts and NC wouldn't make financial sense.

4. Knotts is cocky and arrogant. That tends to happen when you win as much as he does. He runs up the score to coaches he doesn't respect and will continue to do so.

5. South Pointe was the best NC or SC team in 2008. That was a special year for a team in its third year. The only team that could compete with them last year was Byrnes. By the opinion of some on this board, South Pointe recruited Davonte Holloman as he moved into the district right before the start of the season. I disagree and would argue that he chose a school where he thought he could win a state title (which he did).

6. Butler will win again in 2010 regardless of student reassignments. LeMay is the real thing. Someone will accuse Butler of recruiting because jealousy and envy make people petty. A bunch of parents will move their kids back into the Butler district if necessary to play for a chance to repeat. I fully support them giving their kids the opportunity to win and be a part of something special.

7. Most parents would move their kids into a district if they could financially support the move. It happens in academics as well. As long as they are abiding by the rules, I welcome anyone to do so to realize the potential of your child or children whether we are talking athletics or academics.

 

Good job, Franchise...well said! I'm sure some won't agree with you, but I do.

 

In nine year at Independence the man had a record of 131-6. 6 losses in nine years! Six championships and one runner up. That's impressive as hell.

 

yet he routinely refused to play Byrnes or Gaffney. Both tried to schedule them and he refused.

 

collectively it never worked out. they scrimmaged a lot. I remember Byrnes claiming victory after a half of 7 on 7.

ps the new Mint Hill HS may not have affected the talent pool at Independence that much. most kids in MH will still be going to Ind and Butler.MH residents raised plenty of noise about that. new school feeds mostly from the rocky river side.