Birchett resigns, Rounds takes over NK football

Fred Birchett, varsity football head coach at New Kent High School for the past 20 seasons, has resigned. Appointed to take over the program next year is Dan Rounds, a JV and varsity assistant at New Kent since 2001.

Birchett compiled a 138-83 record while at New Kent. His 2002 team advanced to the Group AA Division 3 state title game. The year before, the Trojans captured the Bay Rivers District championship during their first season in AA after moving up from Group A.

Birchett’s Group A Trojans began their district and region championship runs in 1997 as New Kent went 10-0 for the school’s first undefeated regular season since 1971. That Tri-Rivers District-winning team won the Region A title before losing to Powhatan in the state semifinals.

The 1998 and 1999 teams repeated with unbeaten regular season titles in the Tri-Rivers and Tidewater districts, respectively. Both advanced to the state semifinals where they fell to Madison County.

Birchett’s 2000 team, the last to compete in Group A, won the Tidewater District and finished the regular season campaign at 9-1, but lost the Region A title to King William.

Rounds served as New Kent JV defensive coordinator for three seasons, another three seasons as varsity assistant, and one year as varsity defensive coordinator. He has been strength and conditioning coach the past three years.

Rounds was an all-state defensive tackle while in high school in Pennsylvania. He went on to be an all-conference defensive tackle at East Stroudsburg State College. He later played center for the Richmond Bandits indoor football team and the Richmond Speed arena football team.