Darrel Wilson resigns football duties at Kings Mountain High

Kings Mountain native

Darrell Wilson has resigned his position as defensive coordinator of the Kings Mountain High football team but will continue his teaching and basketball duties at the school.

Wilson joined head coach Greg Lloyd’s staff eight years ago after coaching stints at Hunter Huss, Bessemer City and Forestview. During that time he mentored several defensive standouts that went on to play at the collegiate level including such stars as Jake Merchant, Day Day Wilson, Javari Wilson, Jerdon Pressley, Nathan Lease, Derek Wilson, James Ussery, Chance Cannon, Jeremiah Brown, Xavier Brown, Kobe Paysour, Ty Ledbetter, Marquiz Fewell and others. Many of his defensive standouts from the recently completed 2022 season such as All-State defensive lineman AJ Richardson will begin their college football experience in the fall.

Wilson lived on Hilltop and Cansler Street as a young- ster. As an eighth grader he lived with KMHS assistant Coach Rick Fortner. Prior to his freshman year of high school he moved to Gastonia to live with his mother and became a football star for the Hunter Huss Huskies under head coach and former KMHS athlete David Bolin. He started four years at Appalachian State under the legendary head coach Jerry Moore and George Edwards, his linebacker coach, who is now coaching with Tampa Bay in the NFL.

“I really liked coaching,” Wilson said. “I loved working with the kids, getting to know them and forming relationships. We set a lot of defensive records during my time here, such as shutouts and having several players named Conference Player of the Year. Several times we got on a roll. It seems like we’d have four to five shutouts a year and had a lot of streaks where we gave up zero points.”

Wilson gave credit to play- ers like the ones listed above, but also to other defensive coaches like Jeff Williams, James Brown, Matt Bridges, Tom Lease, Demise Williams and others.

“Tom Lease played at Ohio State and Demise Williams at Oklahoma State,” he noted. “We always had good defensive staffs.

“We had some good defensive teams,” he added. “We beat some #1 seeds in state playoff games. I remember beating an undefeated number one team at Freedom that had the number one ranked running back (BJ Emmons) in the nation that went on to play at Alabama. We held him to 15 yards. And, another time we beat an undefeated Northwest Cabarrus team.

“We always had good game plans and beat some very good teams over the years. But, the thing I will miss most will be the players.”

Wilson said he also enjoyed serving as an assistant coach in girls basketball, and he will probably continue that. Some of his most enjoyable seasons were when his daughter, Saniya, was playing for the Lady Mountaineers. She is now at Catawba College but missed her entire freshman season because of knee surgery.

“She was red-shirted and still has four years of eligibility, but she will be a junior after this semester so I don’t know if she will get in four years of basketball,” he noted Wilson said he is probably not finished as a football coach.

“While I was on the staff we always had a good offense and defense,” he said. “I hope the new coach will be successful. I will take a year off but hope to be back in coaching someday. It’s nice to win championships but what’s more important is developing young men and helping them get to the next level and be productive citizens.”