West Bladen’s Russell Dove was approved Monday night by the Columbus County Board of Education to become new Head Football Coach at South Columbus High School.
“It was the right opportunity at the right time,” said Coach Dove. “South Columbus has a rich tradition, and I am looking forward to a new challenge and I think this is the place I need to be.”
Dove has been the head coach at West Bladen for the last 3 years and took the program from an 0-11 season and a 19-game losing streak before he took the head job to the play-offs in two of his last 3 seasons – the Knights would have qualified in 2014 if not for an unfortunate situation at Heide Trask.
“Bladen County and West Bladen have been good to me,” continued Dove. “I am going to miss some really great kids, great teachers, and my staff. Dr. (Robert) Taylor and the Board members have been great to me.”
Dove is a Bladen County native, a 1989 graduate of Bladenboro High School and a 1994 graduate of UNC-Pembroke. He worked 6 years as an assistant coach at West Columbus then moved to West Bladen where he was an assistant for 4 years before taking the head coaching reins in 2013. The Knights won his first game to snap that 19-game losing streak.
The South Columbus and Tabor City community has seen some great coaches including the late Jack Holley who was the all-time winningest coach in NCHSAA history and current Wallace-Rose Hill Coach Joey Price. The Stallions reached the Class 2A Eastern Finals in 2011 and 2012 under Coach Jake Fonveille.
Dove will replace Coach Kyle Hutchinson who was 12-13 in his two seasons at the helm of the Stallions. Hutchinson has been reassigned by the Columbus County Board of Education.
“We’ve lost a member of the community who was a hard worker and very well-liked by his players,” said West Bladen Athletic Director Kim Cain. “He has this program on the right track and has the kids in the weight room and in off-season work-outs.”
“He was able to communicate with the kids and they respected him,” added Cain. “As athletic director I understand the reasons, but we are disappointed to lose him.”
Dove will finish the current semester at West Bladen then make the move to South Columbus saying, “We plan to hit the ground running,” he said. “We expect to run a similar offense to what we have been running at West.”
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