Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Hopewell football coach Chris Rust retires

Hopewell High football coach Chris Rust has retired, athletics director Jamie Billings said.

Rust, who spent 19 years as a teacher and assistant coach at North Meck, will finish the year at Hopewell.

Rust has coached at Hopewell since the school opened nearly 10 years ago. He was an assistant for four years and took over as head coach before the 2005 season. His teams were 43-31 and made the playoffs every season, including an 11-1 team in 2007 when Hopewell won its first conference championship in the now defunct ME-CA 7 4A.

Rust's son, Stephen, was the of the 2007 team. That same season, Stephen Rust was named conference defensive player of year and Chris Rust was conference coach of the year.

Hopewell finished 8-5 last season and reached the second round of the N.C. 4AA playoffs

Billings said the school would advertise for a new coach as soon as possible.

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

Yep,,he got his son the POY, but he wasn't the POY,,the kid from WC, Woods was, but coaches in the conference wouldnt give them the POY for offense and defense, Rust kid couldnt even get a walk on for football in college,,

Anonymous said...

Dear Anonymous,
Thank you so much for your positive enlightening comment about the Rust boy. What would we do without such excellent information. FYI. Get a life.

Anonymous said...

true hurts, FYI, don't see where he helped very many kids go to college for free,,check, no one this year, and very few in the past, never was real impressed with his coaching, was a better classroom teacher

Anonymous said...

Did you see what he had to work with. There was only a couple of college prospects over the years but the team was always in the playoffs. In my opinion he got the most out of the kids he had to work with. I say best of luck coach Rust. Job well done.

Anonymous said...

How about showing some class and wishing the coach well. He gave almost 20 years and this is the best you can say about the man. How about saying, Coach Rust Thank you for years of service to our youths and Thank you for your service as a teacher. May God Bless you and your family and the best of success in whatever else you choose to do.

Anonymous said...

Coach Rust is a great person, coach, and leader at hopewell high school. he will be greatly missed. i can't believe some people have the guts to cut him down. you seriously need to find something better to do.

Anonymous said...

Happy that the coach can leave CMS and really retire or find a job in a system that will appreciate his skills. I wonder how many of you would be just as complimentary of the science, math, or English teachers that spend just as much time trying to educate your offspring? Since career educators are now the enemy it's good to know they do very little to influence students future. Just the fact that someone said he was good classroom teacher was enough of a tribute.

Anonymous said...

Coach Rust taught me math about 20 years ago, with class and dignity. I never played for him but as one of his former students I say, thanks.

Anonymous said...

I played for Coach Rust for 4 year and we had over 20 players that could have possibly went D-1, the players had skills but he wouldn't put his best players on the field. He would never talk to any College coaches for anyone. If you wanted something done, then you would have to do it on your own

Anonymous said...

thank you,,was wondering when one of his players who seen what went on would speak up, like a said, great classroom teacher, but so many more kids could have gone to college free if he would have done somethings different, anyone that is a teacher is a great person, i was talking about as a football H C,,,not everyone is good at that

Anonymous said...

I dunno where you think that football players that play in college just go to school for free. You have to be a stud to go to a Division 1 school and play for free.

FBFAN said...

There is 1 player from this year that is going D1 for free but the observer didn't report on it although it was sent to the sports writer.

Anonymous said...

A high school coach is a teacher, first and foremost. His job is NOT to produce college athletes, but help teenagers grow into solid students and citizens.

The selfishness that has so many clamoring for scholarships when so few actually get them is the biggest negative there is in high school athletics.

Me, me, me. What's in it for me?

That attitude is the problem. Not a coach who puts the welfare of his team ahead of the welfare of a potential scholarship player.