Wednesday, Nov. 23, 2011

Coaches Clark, Finn will not return

Enloe and Southeast Raleigh will have new head football coaches next season.

Ron Clark, Enloe's head coach for the last nine seasons, has been relieved of his football coaching duties. Daniel Finn, the Southeast coach, resigned his coaching responsibilities, but will remain as a teacher and athletics director.

Enloe finished 2-9 this season. Southeast was 9-3, including a 41-34 loss to New Hanover in the second round of the N.C. High School Athletic Association.

"When I took the athletics director job last summer, I fully intended to coach and to be the AD for several years," Finn said. "But when I got involved in both jobs, I learned that you can't teach classes, coach and be athletics director and still have any time for your family."

Finn posted a 56-21 record in his six seasons as the Southeast head coach. The program won 10 or more games in 2008, 2009 and 2010.

He succeeded Gary Powers as athletics director this fall.

"I feel really good about where the football program is," Finn said. "We've had a lot of young men who have worked very hard. I wish we had won a few more conference championships and I wish we could have played for a state championship, but those are hard things to do."

Clark had been an assistant coach at the school for 11 years before being named the head coach in 2003. He said Enloe principal Beth Cochran had decided to make the coaching change.

Coaches and other extra duty employees work at the principal's discretion.

"I'm really disappointed and I don't agree with the decision, but I respect the right of the principal to make the decision," Clark said.

Clark had a 31-70 record in his nine years as head coach.