Gravely resigns as Mount View grid coach

WELCH — There have only been three football coaches at Mount View High School since it opened in 1978.

A fourth coach is now being sought.

Leon Gravely, who has been the head coach of the Golden Knights since 1996, recently resigned from the position, according to Mount View Athletics Director Ed Evans.

“It is time,” Evans said. “Coach Gravely said to me today that it is just time.”

Applications and resumes are now being accepted through Feb. 2, with hopes of filling the position as soon as possible.

“We are kind of excited to get this going. Now is the time of year when the weight-lifting program need to be going full bore,” Evans said. “This is an opportunity. Mount View has got a lot of things going for it...

“We are not just hiring a coach, we are making a commitment to the student-athletes that will be here in the future.”

Evans said a committee headed by McDowell County School Superintendent Jim Brown would conduct the interview process.

“It is important that people know that the position is open and we want as many qualified individuals as possible to apply for the job,” Evans said. “We will try and hire the most qualified individual we can come up with.

“We are excited. I know I am and I know a lot of the kids are.”

Football has long been the primary sport at Mount View since the school was created through consolidation 34 years ago. The Golden Knights have had plenty of success on the gridiron, including reaching the Class AA state semifinals in 2003.

“I want this to be positive about Leon,” Evans said. “We lost a lot of games under him lately, but he is still the guy that took us to the playoffs 10 times.”

Mount View last reached the postseason in 2006, finishing with a 7-4 record. The Golden Knights have since gone 3-7, 1-9, 1-9, 0-10 and 0-10.

“Leon gave us many, many years of his life and he was dedicated to these children,” Evans said. “Every day Leon went on the field he was prepared to give 100 percent and give them a quality experience.

“We have suffered the last few years, but the athletes haven’t been here. The coaches coming in will need to realize it will be a rebuilding situation.”

Evans said interest has been shown in the program, and that the search is being treated as a positive move for the future.

“We want this to be positive. This is an opportunity for Mount View High School to move forward,” Evans said. “We could whine and cry about being 5-45 in the last five years, but it ain’t about that.

“That is water under the bridge. We are moving forward. We are going to look for bigger and better things in the future and I hope we are able to hire the right people in the future to take us in the right direction.”

His replacement will inherit a tradition-rich program that has struggled in recent seasons, losing 27 straight games since a win over Big Creek on Sept. 11, 2009.

“This is an opportunity — that is the key word for us in bringing in a new person — to look to the future and see how we can benefit the athletes of our school and provide them a quality education as far as athletes go,” Evans said.

“That is part of their education and every young man in the world wants to play high school football.

“We want to continue to provide them with that opportunity and move forward with a new coach.”

Evans feels like the ingredients are in place for success. Not only is there ‘first class’ equipment, including a large weight room and ‘nice’ uniforms, but there is talk of replacing declining Vic Nystrom Stadium, which has been in use since 1952.

“I am not telling you we are rich. If you don’t win you don’t sell tickets,” Evans said. “We have always managed to pay the bills and we always will pay the bills and run a first-class program.”

He added that only one member from the Mount View football staff currently remains under contract, that being Don Jones, who has served in various capacities as a coach at Bluefield State, and with Graham and Bluefield high schools.

“Rather or not he is interested, I don’t know,” Evans said. “I have been approached by a few people interested in knowing more about the school and what we have to offer.”

Gravely, who graduated from Mount View and played at what was then Concord College, will remain at the school. He is currently the academic dean in charge of discipline.

“I don’t see Leon going anywhere for a long time,” Evans said. “I believe he will be right here at Mount View in an administrative capacity for a while.”

Gravely replaced Vic Nystrom, who also spent 16 seasons as the coach at Mount View. The original coach for the Golden Knights was Sid Cure, who was replaced by Nystrom after two years.

“(Leon) has always wanted his kids to succeed, not just on the gridiron, but in the classroom and in life,” Evans said. “That sounds like coach-speak, but with Leon that was a rule. He believed that whole-heartedly...

“He won’t be remembered as the guy that lost 27 games in a row, the kids will remember how he helped them become a man.”

For more information about the football position, visit the McDowell County Board of Education website or call Director of Personnel Barbara Miller at 304-436-8441. Evans can also be reached at 304-673-2969.

—Contact Brian Woodson

at bwoodson@bdtonline.com

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