ICARD — East Burke High School’s search for its next head football coach officially has begun with the job posted.
EBHS began advertising the vacancy for a head football coach/teacher position on Friday, just shy of two weeks after the Cavaliers wrapped up a 2-8 season — including a 1-6 mark to finish seventh in the eight-team Catawba Valley 2A Conference — with two different head coaches leading the way during the fall.
Derrick Minor began the fall starting his fifth season as EB’s head coach, but resigned, citing health reasons, two games into the year with an 0-2 start. Minor wrapped up his tenure with the Cavs with a 13-25 overall record, including 8-20 in league play with no NCHSAA state playoff appearances. His first season in Icard was his most successful as he guided East Burke to a 4-3 record, all in conference play, during the COVID-19-shortened spring 2021 campaign.
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Assistant coach Allen Wittenberg took over as the interim head coach for the final eight games and went 2-6, including 1-6 in the CVAC, defeating nonconference rival Draughn 12-7 at home in his first opportunity on Sept. 6 before later topping conference foe West Caldwell at home on Nov. 1 by a 28-7 final score.
Minor, who continued teaching at EBHS following his resignation from the football coaching post, said he is unsure if he will pursue another coaching opportunity before next season.
“I’m not quite sure yet,†Minor said. “Just resetting and seeing how I feel. It’s been a rough few years of frustration and negativity.â€
Wittenberg, who also coached Draughn to a 1-10 record during the 2014 season, said over the weekend that he has not made any decisions about his future plans, but is in the process of figuring it out.
“I just don’t have much to say right now,†Wittenberg said. “I’m discussing it with my family this weekend.â€
East Burke athletic director Chip Watts did not respond to requests for comment on the timeline of the coach search and hiring process.
In addition to football and athletics department acumen and responsibilities and school leadership abilities, EB football coach applicants also must hold or be eligible to hold a North Carolina teaching license. Applicants also must hold and maintain commercial driver’s license requirements.
Minor (2020-24) and Wittenberg (2024) are the 10th and 11th head coaches in Cavaliers program history, respectively, as well as the third and fourth EBHS head coaches in the past decade following Tom Brown (2014-16) and Mark Buffamoyer (2017-19).
The first seven Cavs coaches were homefield namesake Danny Williams (1974-83), Wayne Fletcher (1984-94), Curtis Threatt (1995-96), Mike Helms (1997-98), Tom Harper (1999 to 2001), Mike Biggerstaff (2002-09) and Jim Ruark (2010-13).
East Burke High School principal Anna Moose is the point of contact for applicants for the football coaching position. She can be reached at 828-397-5541.
