wrencock88
02-23-2008, 05:08 PM
Wren football coach Mickey Moss has decided to go home to finish his career.
Moss, 58, who is also the Hurricanes’ athletics director, confirmed Tuesday that he has accepted the position as Blacksburg’s football coach pending board approval from Cherokee County School District 1. He led the Hurricanes to a 14-30 record, including a 4-7 mark this past season, in four seasons.
Moss said he was contacted about the Blacksburg job a few weeks ago, and after thinking and praying about it from all angles, decided on Saturday to take the job. The other finalists for the position, as reported by the Spartanburg Herald-Journal, were former Seneca coach Brian Smith and Goose Creek assistant Scott Durham.
“I’m going back home,” said Moss, a Blacksburg graduate. “I think all of us at times want chances to go back home. Back to the place where we grew up. I started out there playing football, I guess where the love of the game began. It seems fitting that I go back and try to finish it where I grew up.”
Moss will replace Robbie Blanton, who resigned in January after nine seasons and has remained on staff as AD. Moss played at Blacksburg under Blanton’s father, Bob. Taking a job without administrative duties appealed to Moss, who will strictly coach football.
Blacksburg went 3-6 this past season and finished fifth in Region 2-AA.
“I can stay basically as long as I want to stay and coach football for four or five years if I want,” he said.
Moss, who has one year remaining in the Teachers and Employee Retention Intitative (TERI), said he planned to retire at Wren.
“It was tough,” Moss said. “Because this is a great administration here, Mr. (Robbie) Binnicker, you won’t find a better high school principal. Anderson School District 1 is a great district, it’s tough leaving, it’s been fun. At my age, and my stage of my life. I gave a lot of thought to staying here.”
Moss, who has coached high school football for 32 years, came to Wren from Lake City where he went 85-63, made the playoffs 10 out of 13 years and won the school’s first region title.
Moss said Wren enjoyed its most competitive team this past season in his four years at the helm. The Hurricanes beat Easley 51-7 in the regular season finale for their first Region 1-AAAA win since Laurens in 2004.
Moss also started a ninth grade program this past season that he envisioned would add more depth to the varsity team eventually. Wren returns 74 of 84 players this fall. After this past season, Moss pointed to improvement the program enjoyed during the last four seasons with a five-win upgrade over the previous four seasons (14-30 compared with 9-31).
“The program is ready to turn the corner,” he said.
Anderson District 1 Superintendent Wayne Fowler said he wishes Moss well at Blacksburg.
“It’s not like he’s a stranger to them,” Fowler said. “This is one of their own coming home. He loves football, and he loves coaching football, and he can do more of that there, and less of that administration side.”
Fowler said the district would open up the application process as soon as Moss’ departure is official and hope to have finalists narrowed down in about two months.
Wren Principal Robbie Binnicker said Moss was a great influence on Wren’s students, and the school would look for the next coach to have a tremendous amount of character, and someone who fits into the community.
“You’re always looking for someone who’s going to take your program to the next level and improve on what you have,” Binnicker said. “Finding that person who’s a quality individual and a positive influence on our young people, and an outstanding coach is also important as well.”
-Keith Farner anderson Independent Mail
Moss, 58, who is also the Hurricanes’ athletics director, confirmed Tuesday that he has accepted the position as Blacksburg’s football coach pending board approval from Cherokee County School District 1. He led the Hurricanes to a 14-30 record, including a 4-7 mark this past season, in four seasons.
Moss said he was contacted about the Blacksburg job a few weeks ago, and after thinking and praying about it from all angles, decided on Saturday to take the job. The other finalists for the position, as reported by the Spartanburg Herald-Journal, were former Seneca coach Brian Smith and Goose Creek assistant Scott Durham.
“I’m going back home,” said Moss, a Blacksburg graduate. “I think all of us at times want chances to go back home. Back to the place where we grew up. I started out there playing football, I guess where the love of the game began. It seems fitting that I go back and try to finish it where I grew up.”
Moss will replace Robbie Blanton, who resigned in January after nine seasons and has remained on staff as AD. Moss played at Blacksburg under Blanton’s father, Bob. Taking a job without administrative duties appealed to Moss, who will strictly coach football.
Blacksburg went 3-6 this past season and finished fifth in Region 2-AA.
“I can stay basically as long as I want to stay and coach football for four or five years if I want,” he said.
Moss, who has one year remaining in the Teachers and Employee Retention Intitative (TERI), said he planned to retire at Wren.
“It was tough,” Moss said. “Because this is a great administration here, Mr. (Robbie) Binnicker, you won’t find a better high school principal. Anderson School District 1 is a great district, it’s tough leaving, it’s been fun. At my age, and my stage of my life. I gave a lot of thought to staying here.”
Moss, who has coached high school football for 32 years, came to Wren from Lake City where he went 85-63, made the playoffs 10 out of 13 years and won the school’s first region title.
Moss said Wren enjoyed its most competitive team this past season in his four years at the helm. The Hurricanes beat Easley 51-7 in the regular season finale for their first Region 1-AAAA win since Laurens in 2004.
Moss also started a ninth grade program this past season that he envisioned would add more depth to the varsity team eventually. Wren returns 74 of 84 players this fall. After this past season, Moss pointed to improvement the program enjoyed during the last four seasons with a five-win upgrade over the previous four seasons (14-30 compared with 9-31).
“The program is ready to turn the corner,” he said.
Anderson District 1 Superintendent Wayne Fowler said he wishes Moss well at Blacksburg.
“It’s not like he’s a stranger to them,” Fowler said. “This is one of their own coming home. He loves football, and he loves coaching football, and he can do more of that there, and less of that administration side.”
Fowler said the district would open up the application process as soon as Moss’ departure is official and hope to have finalists narrowed down in about two months.
Wren Principal Robbie Binnicker said Moss was a great influence on Wren’s students, and the school would look for the next coach to have a tremendous amount of character, and someone who fits into the community.
“You’re always looking for someone who’s going to take your program to the next level and improve on what you have,” Binnicker said. “Finding that person who’s a quality individual and a positive influence on our young people, and an outstanding coach is also important as well.”
-Keith Farner anderson Independent Mail