New Kent’s new head football coach determined to build winning program

Clark Harrell, hired last week as New Kent High School’s head football coach, comes in with a reputation for turning around programs that have fallen on hard times. And New Kent is a classic example.

A New Kent team hasn’t posted a winning record since 2003. Over the past eight seasons, teams have earned only 12 wins. Losses stand at 68.

But Harrell, who has spent 31 years in the coaching field, said he’s not one to dwell on the past. His passion for football means moving forward, and that’s what the people in New Kent who hired him wanted to hear.

New Kent school superintendent Dave Myers said a number of things stood out when Harrell interviewed for the job — things that separated him from others in the pool of 25 applicants.

“He really knows the game, and he has a great deal of experience,” Myers said. “His head coaching experience was really big, as was his past experience in rebuilding football programs.”

The superintendent said considerable effort went into checking Harrell’s background, particularly in North Carolina where he has spent most of his career, and at Smithfield High, his current coaching assignment.

“We wanted to make sure this would be our person,” said Myers. “And he was the best candidate coming forward.”

Harrell said administrators in New Kent sold him on the job.

“All of them were straightforward people,” he said. “They didn’t try to sugarcoat it. They said the program was down and made it clear they want the program to be more competitive and things to improve. That’s the kind of people I want to work for.”

The 58-year-old Tarboro, N.C. native has complied a 215-139 career record coaching at eight schools, including a 20-13 mark in three years at Smithfield where he inherited a losing program. The Packers went 10-2 his first year after going 1-9 a season earlier. Last fall, his latest Packer edition blanked New Kent 49-0 after building a 43-0 halftime lead.

His decision to leave Smithfield stemmed from changes in administrators and athletics directors, he said, adding, “It’s best to work for the people that hire you.”

Prior to Smithfield, he took a North Carolina high school program that had a four-year record of 4-40 before he arrived and transformed the team into a post-season qualifier all four years of his tenure.

“Football jobs come open when something’s wrong, like being 1-9,” he said. “You don’t see jobs come open when you’re 9-1.”

Harrell stops short of saying he uses an in-your-face approach, but does label himself as a “demanding” coach.

“When I interviewed for the New Kent job, they asked me what’s my greatest weakness,” he said. “My answer was I’m not too patient.

“My job is to get you prepared to do your best,” he said. “The most precious thing you have is winning on the practice field. That’s where you sharpen your skills.”

But he says his interaction with players has been altered somewhat since he entered the coaching profession. And kids, themselves, are different, he added.

“Kids have changed and you can’t do the things you did 25 years ago,” he said. “But my goal is to always get the most out of them and make them the best players you can. Football teaches you to be part of a team, and I believe in building the spirit of the team.

“What you want to teach young people now is how to win and what they need to be successful. Sometimes they need a hug around the neck, but sometimes you need to light a fire under them. I try not to be too high or too low, but I’m business all the time.”

As for his system, Harrell is devoted to the spread offense, but is open to adjustments depending on the mobility of his quarterback. On defense, he flatly states, “I’ve always been a 4-3 guy.”

Meeting last week with returning members of New Kent’s football team, Harrell discussed his philosophy in a session that he said went quite well.

“The players seemed sort of like relieved,” he said. “They haven’t had a head coach since Dan [Rounds] resigned, so now they seemed to a have a sense of what we’re doing and they seemed eager and ready to go.

“I told them to keep their focus and keep important what’s important,” he said. “And what’s important is football things like running the right routes, blocking, tackling and passing. I also told the players you can’t win with a bunch of boys running away from the practice field or running away from the weight room.”

Harrell, who will be teaching health and physical education at the school next fall, plans to return this week with playbooks in hand for his assistant coaches, aiming to install what he deems the basics over spring break.

“It’s one thing to meet the players and another thing to get on the practice field and see what we’ve got,” he said. “I’m real anxious to see them in action and what they can do. And I’m sure they’re eager to see what I’m like, too.”