Brint Russell won’t return to Owen sideline
Warhorse head football coach steps down after one season
Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
April 8, 2022
Brint Russell, who took over as head coach of the Owen Warhorse football program last June, is stepping down. Photo by Fred McCormick
The Owen High School football program is searching for a head coach, following an April 7 announcement that Brint Russell is stepping down from the position.
His departure leaves the Warhorses with a vacancy in the position for the second time in less than a year.
Russell, a former Warhorse player and graduate of the school, stepped into the role last June, after his predecessor, Nathan Padgett, accepted an assistant principal position at A.C. Reynolds. In his only season at helm of the Owen program, Russell posted a 4-7 record, with a 3-3 mark in the Western Highlands Conference.
Stepping away from the position he described last summer as a “dream come true” was a difficult decision, according to Russell, who is moving with his family to Nashville.
This is a bittersweet situation,” he said. “We weren’t looking for anything, and this is where we wanted to be, long-term. But, my wife was sought after by a Fortune 500 company and their offer was something we couldn’t turn down.”
While the move represents a “huge opportunity” for his family, Russell, who will remain in his position as physical education teacher through the end of the school year, expressed regret over the timing.
“I’m very happy for my wife and our family,” he said. “But, I’m extremely sad that I worked so long to get into this position, only for it to be so fleeting.”
Russell, on Thursday, held a team meeting to inform his players he was leaving.
“I was very honest with them,” he said. “I told them I’d trade places with any of them in a second, because they get to play football at the greatest school in N.C. These guys have worked so hard in the weight room, and it’s going to pay off for them next year. They just need to keep fighting, and know this program is bigger than me, or any single individual. Collectively, they can turn the corner.”
The former coach added that he believes the team and the Owen Athletics program are in “great shape.”
“We’re getting a new digital scoreboard, a new weight room and a new ticket booth, so there are all kinds of positive changes in place,” Russell said. “It feels like everything is moving in the right direction, and I don’t think it will be long before this team is successful again.”
The Warhorses qualified for the NCHSAA 2A Football Playoffs under Russell, who installed a triple option offense last summer. The team will lose 12 seniors to graduation before the 2022 season, including running backs Briggs Barker and Cadyn Cook. Leading rusher, sophomore Will Johnson, junior running back Kameron Moore and starting quarterback Alex Sanchez are poised to return.
The position was posted April 8, according to Owen Athletic Director Brook King, who said he understood Russell’s decision, and wished the coach and his family well. King is confident the head coaching vacancy will attract “strong candidates.”
“We believe this is one of the top head coaching jobs in the mountains,” he said. “We have adequate time to find a qualified coach to lead this team, and we remain excited about the future of our football program.”