If I'm not mistaken, the new football coach at Battle is a member of our forum.....CoachFtbl.
Congratulations to making it back to Southwest Virginia and good luck at Battle.
The position of head football coach at John Battle High School has historically been one of the toughest in Southwest Virginia.
Chris Brookshire knows the story, and he embraces the challenge.
The 37-year-old Asheville, N.C. resident was tabbed as the new boss of the Trojans during a meeting of the Washington County School Board Monday night.
"I'm aware of the situation at Battle, and I realize people look at this as a tough job," said Brookshire, who replaces Dan Strong at Battle. "That excites me. I can't wait to get started."
Brookshire recently resigned as the head coach of Erwin High School in Asheville. He compiled a record of 17-38 the past five seasons at the 1,300-student school.
Moments after completing an over nine-hour drive Wednesday evening from a family trip to Disney World in Orlando, Fla., Brookshire discussed his appreciation for Southwest Virginia football..a chance to move to Southwest Virginia two or three times," said Brookshire, whose son is a rising ninth grader and football player. "It looks like a great place to raise a family and be a coach."
"I think the Battle principal [Jeff Hawkins] was pretty amazed that I knew so much about his school," Brookshire said. "I know that Battle hasn't had a winning season in football since 1998, but I want to get the kids excited about the game and then watch that excitement level take off."
Brookshire plans to meet with the current coaches at John Battle Friday, and possibly meet with the players Tuesday.
As for the power structure among Southwest Virginia teams, Brookshire will need no primer. He lived in Wise County until age 10, and both of his brothers were athletes at J.I. Burton High School.
"The level of play in [Southwest Virginia] is high. Just look at the number of National Football League players from that area," Brookshire said. "I've met coaches like John Adams (Lebanon), Phil Robbins (Powell Valley) and Nick Colobro (Gate City) at clinics. Now, I will have the opportunity to play against them. It's a huge deal."
Brookshire starred as a receiver and defensive back at Tuscola High School in Waynesville, N.C., then earned a football scholarship to Wingate. After injuring his knee, Brookshire transferred to Western Carolina University where earned All-Southern Conference honors in track and field as a sprinter.
In addition to the passion for football, Brookshire said he was attracted to the slower pace in the Mountain Empire.
"I've had
In 2006, Brookshire led Erwin to its first playoff appearance in four years. He worked at the school for a total for 11 seasons, counting his time as an assistant.
Brookshire tutored several college players at Erwin, including Appalachian State University All-American offensive lineman John Holt and his brother Sherman.
"We ran the I offense when we had the Holt brothers. Last year we had a 6-foot-5, 215-pound quarterback who is on everybody's radar, so we went to a little more spread offense," Brookshire said.
"I know Battle is graduating is a very good quarterback (Cody Calloway along with a couple outstanding receivers. I like the spread, ball-control approach on offense, though.''
While Brookshire said his friends and co-workers tried to persuade him to remain at Erwin, he is counting down the days until he becomes a Trojan.
"I've heard that the players at Battle have already been lifting weights, and that says a lot about those kids," Brookshire said. "You can't replace hard work and dedication.
"We want to start all players and parents on the same page, and just get folks about excited about the game. I'm leaving a great situation, but I think [Battle] is a good situation as well."
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