VETERAN FOOTBALL COACH RON MASSEY TO RETIRE

KANNAPOLIS — According to reports in the Independent-Tribune newspaper, veteran head football coach Ron Massey of A.L. Brown High School in Kannapolis has announced his retirement.

Massey came to Kannapolis from Kings Mountain in 2000, taking over from Bruce Hardin. Hardin had come to the post following the very successful Bob Boswell. Each of them held the high-profile role for at least 11 years.

Massey posted a record of 120-32 in his 11 seasons as the head coach of the Wonders, including a state runner-up finish in 2008 and league championships or co-championships in nine of the 11 years.

He also coached Kings Mountain to a state runner-up finish, was a Shrine Bowl assistant coach in 2001 and was selected as a recipient of the Homer Thompson 8 Who Make A Difference Sportsmanship Award from the NCHSAA in 2007. Massey said he has enjoyed “being part of a great football program and a great school system. The support I got from the administration was tremendous.” Administrators past and present lauded Massey.

“I think Coach Massey’s knowledge of the game, his coaching ability and his teaching ability are exemplary,” said A.L. Brown principal Kevin Garay. “What separates him are his integrity, his commitment to doing what is right and his modeling what a leader should be. He’s going to be difficult to replace.”

“I know the importance of the position to the school and community. We’re going to certainly focus on bringing in the best candidate possible. It may take some time to do that.” said Kannapolis City Schools superintendent Pam Cain. “We hate to lose someone the caliber of Coach Massey. He’s not only a good football coach, but he’s helped students know how to live a good life with character. We will have big shoes to fill, and the Kannapolis City Board of Education and myself are committed to again strive for excellence when hiring our future football coach.”