Making a Move: Greenwood's Chris Young Transitions to New Role With Program

After six seasons as the Head Coach of the Greenwood Bulldogs, and serving as the Offensive Coordinator for 11 years prior, Chris Young is stepping down and moving to the role of Director of Student Activities and Operations. 

What does this mean for Greenwood Football? A new era.

Young visits with Jeff Williams about why he decided to make the move and how Jason Gill is a great fit to take over the football program. 

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Welcome to Varsity Vibes. It's the episode sponsored by Lindsay and Associates. We've got former now, former head coach, Coach Chris Young. Coach, big announcement the other day. A lot of dominoes affect you know, not just in the the football world or the sports world, just there in your in in uh the Greenwood Public Schools. Talk to us a little bit about the process. I mean, the timing's kind of weird late here, but but at the end of the day of it is things happened. Talk to us a little bit about the process and how this all went down.

SPEAKER_01 0:33

Yeah, you know, we had an assistant superintendent that got hired to be the superintendent in Alma and was something that really caught us by surprise. Uh he was later in his career and he had a few years left and kind of thought in a few years he might get out, and this would be a transition for me, but didn't think it happened this quick. So that sped up the process. Uh, but we've seen this coming. We knew this was gonna happen at some point, and I think it allowed me to prepare our staff. Uh, you know, Jason, since I've been AD and head coach, has taken over a ton of the head coaching responsibilities the last three years. I think put him in in the uh the right position to take this over. But also our offensive staff, you know, Coach Hogan uh really gave him a lot more with the offense these last couple of years uh to make sure he'd be prepared when this happened.

SPEAKER_00 1:19

Well, talk to us a little bit about your new role. I mean, you but people probably they know or don't know, you know, you've been athletic director slash head coach. What's your new role? Are you still involved in in the athletic part of it? And and just talk to us a little bit about your new role, what what handprints you're putting on that stuff.

SPEAKER_01 1:36

Yeah, I'm gonna continue to be in charge of athletics and be the athletic director, but I'm also gonna take over uh you know the district operations facility plan uh and and dealing with some more of our personnel.

SPEAKER_00 1:48

Well, talk to us a little bit about this. I mean great position, moving up and all that, but it's gotta be difficult. I mean, you've been around football your whole life, your dad's a Hall of Fame coach. I mean, you're gonna be a Hall of Fame coach and you've been around successful programs. How difficult? What was the thing to step away? I mean, how difficult was that? Just relationships with kids, and those things start running through your head.

SPEAKER_01 2:17

When I know when I stepped away, it was like Yeah, the two biggest things I I was concerned about and still am. Number one, you said it, the relationship with kids. I love kids, love being around them, love investing in them, uh, love seeing them be successful, and and uh love being in the locker room, hanging out with them, and that's something that I'm really concerned about. Uh and then also the relationship with your staff, man. I've got a phenomenal staff here. Uh, but I am so happy for them, for Jason taking this over, and I'll enjoy sitting back and watching him lead this program and and putting his own ideas into it, and and I think he's gonna be incredible. So just the relationship aspect with the kids and with the coaches. Fortunately, being athletic director, I'm still gonna get some of that, and I know it's gonna be different, but uh I told Jason I'm gonna be in that locker room, I'm gonna be hugging on those kids, and and I'm gonna be at the other events and and working with coaches, not only in football, but in all of our programs. So um I could not walk away from athletics, you know, in all. Being able to still be the athletic director is really big for me.

SPEAKER_00 3:19

Well, that he is. And talk to us a little bit of this. Let's talk about Coach Gill. I mean, he's been with you over a decade. I mean, I know him well. You know, I mean, you've worked with him every day. He uh to me, he's so prepared for this job, and it's a it's a perfect fit because you've been at Greenwood for a long time, and you know about the, you know, you've got to know the community, you've got to know the school, you've got to know the type of kid and the expectations. It seems just like an easy transition. Talk to us a little bit about Coach Gill and his skills and what you think he's gonna bring to the table.

SPEAKER_01 3:51

Yeah, we did not consider another applicant. I mean, we never even talked to anybody else. My superintendent and I uh going through this process and having these discussions. Uh, Jason is a hundred percent the right guy. You know, he's worked under three head coaches, won two state championships with Toddy at Rising, won two with Coach Jones here at Greenwood, and then won three here with with me. So uh he's seen different coaches and picked up different things that that will help him be successful. But he also had a great run at Mansfield, you know, won their first ever conference championship. So he's been a head coach. Uh he knows why we've been successful here. He knows what we've done in the past to be successful. Uh I don't see him going and changing a lot of things just like I didn't when Coach Jones left. Uh what we're doing's working. And and I think he'll, like I said, he'll make some tweaks and put his own touch on some things, but I think the product you see will be very similar to even what Coach Jones did uh, you know, 10 years ago.

SPEAKER_00 4:46

Well, he put you on the spot here. I mean, you're you're getting out, you're still gonna be an athletics, athletic director. What are some of your fondest memories uh in your career there at Greenwood? I mean, not necessarily don't have to be head coach when you're an assistant. I mean, y'all have had great, great runs and and state championship wins and some tough state championship losses. And talk to us, you know, just some give me a couple of stories, some fond memories of your time being the head coach of Greenwood.

SPEAKER_01 5:16

Yeah, I think that as an assistant, the Camden Fairview game, you know, when we're down 17 and come back in the fourth quarter in the semifinals and win and just kickfield, go to win the game. Madden McFain at the end of the game. Uh, you know, a couple years later playing Camden in the state championship game, down 14 with two minutes left in the fourth quarter, uh, coming back and winning that game. As a head coach, uh, big win we've had at Northside a couple years ago when we're down 19 in the fourth quarter and throw a hell buried away.

SPEAKER_00 5:44

That is the craziest game I've ever seen in my entire life.

SPEAKER_01 5:48

Yeah, it was pretty special. But and you know, I I don't know if you know this, but I was here six years. We never lost a game on our home field when I was head coach. Yeah. And uh that's a pretty cool to be able to say that every time we played at Smith Robinson Stadium, our team was successful. And uh, you know, you can attribute that to some great players and great assistant coaches, but uh that's something I'm really proud of that that we were undefeated at home during my career here. So a lot of great memories, a lot of great players, a lot of great coaches. You know, I heard the the quote uh recently coaches win games and administrations win championships. And I think that's true. And by administration, I mean our board, our community, our parents. Uh I'd like to think that that I had a lot to do with it here, but I don't think that's true. I think the setup here is really good. There's so many people vested in this program, willing to do whatever is necessary for our kids to be successful. And I know they're gonna do those same things for Jason, and and I'm just excited to be able to sit back and and watch him continue uh this program because it's been special and and I don't think that's gonna change.

SPEAKER_00 6:53

Well, coach, I appreciate you taking time with us. I know short notice, you guys have been awesome and always been good to us, but appreciate hey good luck in your adventures. I mean, you you've done a phenomenal job. I've watched you two for a long time and love your dad and all the whole part of it. But congratulations to you on a phenomenal career and uh thanks thanks for coming on.

SPEAKER_01 7:17

Appreciate it.

SPEAKER_00 7:19

Thanks, buddy.