High school football just got less interesting around here.
This isn’t the first time Tom Knotts has left Independence High – he once had an ill-fated stint as a Duke assistant coach – but this should be the last. Knotts, 53, has gone to coach at Dutch Fork (S.C.) High, apparently for financial and lifestyle reasons that I don’t really care about that much.
What I do care about is that Knotts is gone.
I’m sorry about that. It will make high school football here feel a little hollow for awhile. Knotts lived and coached on the edge here – always on the verge of some controversy – but he also produced dazzling football teams that mimicked his bravado.
Even when Independence wasn’t great – like this season, when Butler surpassed the Patriots and went on to win a state championship – Knotts kept blustering. After Butler beat Independence in the regular season, Knotts said: “I hope we play them once more in the playoffs. Because they won’t beat us again. I’m sure of that.”
It was gamesmanship. Knotts was trying to convince his own players with that one. And that time, it didn’t work. Butler used Knotts’ quote as bulletin-board material and then whipped Independence again, even worse, in the playoffs.
But that was one of the rare times Knotts couldn’t back up his talk. In the 2000s, Independence was nearly unbeatable. The school once went seven years and 109 games without a loss. At the time, it was the longest winning streak in the nation.
I named Knotts as one of my 10 most fascinating Carolinas sports figures of the decade last week, alongside far more well-known coaches like Mike Krzyzewski and Roy Williams. I really meant that. I certainly don’t agree with all of Knotts’ tactics, but they were fascinating to watch. Although some will be happy to see Knotts go, don’t count me among them.
We're moving!
9 years ago
Posts
23 comments:
Can you blame him? He has helped put CMS and the city of Charlotte on the map nationally and they pay him nothing. Its a freakin joke.
For what he gave this city they need to award him millions on his way out the door and even that is not enough.
Such a disparity exists between high school college and the pros. They gave out of towner packrat BJ a 400 mill new arena for what? He never did a thing for Charlotte. All take no give. Shinn and Richardson were more worthy.
High schools and school systems need to ante up and pay a guy at least partially what he is worth especially if he is making your school system look good.
The pathetic nothing CMS pays good coaches is laughable and a good coach can spend 100 hrs a week on football alone all the while even colleges pay millions annually. Can you say 2000 a year if they lucky?
Knotts should have been named head coach of the Panthers if Fox exits. That would be payback.
Scott, don't be surprised if Knotts is not the last to leave.
Several recent moves by CMS have convinced the football guys that cronyism and office politics are the system's favorite contact sports.
No wonder die-hard football guys like Knotts want to bug out for places were HS football is truly king.
Wow the two comments so far are hilarious in their stupidity.
I say good riddance to Tom Knotts he was a jerk who thought football was as important as reading, writing, and arithmatic. The reason he left Harding was Dr. Bell the principal at the time valued education more than athletics and wanted student-athletes to emphasize the Student. So he left Harding to go to West Charlotte, then Dr. Bell was appointed principal at West Charlotte and he left for Independence.
Knotts finally got some competition so he is tucking tail and running for money and lower academic standards
Makes the school systems look good? Are you kidding me?
Yeah, I want my kid to go to CMS because Independence wins football games with kids who can't read.
A great coach on the rise that would be a perfect fit for Independence is Adrian Snow from West Forsyth. Great with kids, values education, enthusiastic, super family, admired by peers, young and loves the game. Check him out. You'll be impressed! I'm not from Charlotte nor have any dog in this fight. I've just heard and seen super things. Just ask around... Administrators and players... Snatch him up Independence!
Although I respect his record, I do not respect the coach. I lost it at a local HS game, a great one a few years back when the teams wrestled back and forth. After a last ditch effort by the losing side, 4th and 6, score 27-23, the ball went over on downs. With only 45 seconds left, Indy was the winner. Take a knee, shake hands and savor a great win? No, Knotts calls a 40yrd pass for a TD to rub their noses in it. Done, lost all respect!
Good Riddance!!
I'm a West Charlotte grad ('97))and when I was in school, I loved him. He brought the "Buffalo Bills of high school football" a long awaited state title. He really instilled pride in our school through the football team...
...HOWEVER, as I look back as a teacher who has taught and coached for 9 years, I'm not that thrilled with Knotts's legacy in Charlotte. He instilled that pride at the expense of some of our students' futures. Academically, and this is from someone who had friends in class with a lot of the players and knew them personally, his teams were anything but stellar. Great football players but unfortunately a lot of them had nothing to fall back on when their days on the field were done because their academic base was poor at best (used to see them back in Charlotte working a couple of years later after being declared academically ineligible). Athletically, they were great teams and they were dominant but so many of WC's players never really progressed after leaving high school. His players' long term success should be the measure of his legacy and it's just not there.
And the earlier post about the "pathetic nothing" they get paid, a measly $2000, well, that's simply not true. He made more, especially when compared to other sports. And when you're paying teachers 30k a year, a one season coach that does not teach, which Knotts did not (weightlifting does not count), doesn't deserve a huge salary.
What is this? A center for ants?
How can we be expected to teach children to learn how to read if they can't even fit inside the building?
It's amazing these commenters seem to think they *know* why Knotts did something. None of us do. Just take it for face value, it's not that difficult to believe. He dutifully put in his time (underpaid) with CMS to get full retirement and now he's leaving to get paid a much better salary and a promotion to athletic director. Even if Independence had beat Butler, my guess is he'd still be leaving. I doubt any of you would turn down the same opportunity to double your salary and improve your situation, so stop criticizing the man for doing what is best for himself and his family.
He's Double Dipping. Don't feel sorry for Knotts. The guy is making over 100,000 at his new job and drawing retirement from the State of North Carolina. That is the only reason he is leaving. Smart move if you ask me.
hes a cheater and a skunk who cant handle losing...most people go to jail for assaulting people and DWIS.... someday soon the truth will come out about THE REAL TOM KNOTTS !!!!!
knotts is not a nice person and to call hima teacher is a joke... but hes a good coach who found ways to win and i guess he feels like its time for a change
KNOTTS IS #1 IN CMS and always will be. Deal with it.
All you pathetic LOSERS knocking him take a pill or go play in traffic.
Some of these uneducated ones still dont understand the difference between academic subject teachers and physical education subject teachers/coaches. Get a grip.
Anon 12:43 must be one of Knott's disciples.
He is great High School Football coach thats all he will ever be good at he can't cut in college and will never cut it in the pros. He will continue to use kids to get what he wants.
I don't know about Indy or West Charlotte, but when I was at Harding, he taught history. All the students I knew that had him liked him a lot as a teacher and a coach. Back then, I think we had to have a C or better in all classes to play sports. I think now they have to maintain a C avg for all classes. So is it Coach Knotts or the school system that is really taking the focus off of the "student" in student athlete???
Why are you blaming the football coach for poor academics? Someone said he wasn't a teacher. Isn't academics the responsibility of the student, the students parents, and the other teachers?
Ever notice how ignorance tries to blame coaches and teachers instead of the student or parents?
Its never the class skipping non-studying poor student or their sorry worthless lazy crackhead parents is it?
Face the facts. Not everybody is gonna make it in this world. More will fail than succeed depending on the definitions of success.
Not everybody is cut out for school much less college for heavens sake and thats why there is 50% dropout rate in inner cities all across America.
Dont blame the sports coaches.
To go along w/ an eariler commenter, I graduated from West Charlotte (99') and played for Knotts for 3 years. I know that the majority of my teammates are doing well for themselves and were successful. After all, it's not TK's responsibility (or any coach's) for the choices made by a student after they graduate from high school. TK's legacy has already been established & I wish him well with his move to SC. Most of the naysayers on this board either supported a school that lost to one of his teams or base their opinions on hearsay :)
My Son played for Tom Knotts and the team had to show the coaches their progress reports, so don't think Coach Knotts don't care about the education of his players. Everybody hates him because he is a winner! He will be greatly missed in CMS!! He set a high standard for Football here and gave everyone a challenge. Go Coach Knotts, show what you got in South Carolina!!
any body who supports knotts is a fool..... trust me there are a few things about knotts that is getting ready to come out that will change everyones mind... extortion, police intimidation, harrasment ... knotts is getting ready to take a fall
Take it from someone who saw first hand what kind of guy Knotts could be. I played football at West Charlotte when he was coach. Knotts would do anyhting to win. Many of his players got passing grades they didn't deserve because he either manipulated or intimidated their teachers. I witnessed him and members of his coaching staff grab players by their facemasks and even kick linemen in their rears when they became frustrated with them. I also personally heard Knotts tell this guy to his face that "you are the dumbest white boy I have ever met". What did that mean? Now he leaves because he can't recruit and get kids to move into his district like he has the last 20 years. The result is his teams aren't going to be as dominant as they used to be and he knew it. Some of you should be careful before you make this guy out to be a Charlotte legend.
lets see what type of guy knotts is... first he has been arrested for DWI , then he assaults a parent in front of witnesses , he illegally recruited players, then he gets a woman pregnant who is still married to another man... THESE ARE ALL FACTS AND THE CMS SYSTEM COVERED EVERYTHING UP FOR HIM BECAUSE HE WON ... he may be a good coach but his morals are very low
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