CLOVER, S.C. - What's old is new as a familiar name will take over as the next head football coach at Clover High School. Principal Rod Ruth and Athletic Director Bailey Jackson will announce that William Perry Woolbright will be the next coach to lead the Blue Eagles football program on Tuesday afternoon at 3:00 p.m. in the CSD Auditorium. 

Coach Woolbright was approved by the Clover School District Board of Trustees during Monday evening’s board meeting.

Having an opportunity to return to Clover is a special one. "It is an honor to be able to come back to where you played and where you've had family coach as well," stated Coach Woolbright. "It is not often that those things happen in this profession." Woolbright, who spent six years as the Athletic Director and Head Football Coach at Lexington High School, returns to Clover following in the footsteps of his father, Marty, who led the Blue Eagles from 1993-1997, and where he graduated in 2001.

Having been there and done that is something that Coach Woolbright believes will serve him well with his team. "As a coach, to be able to tell the team that you have been where they are and that you can relate to what they are going through is huge," he remarked. Being able to lean on experiences having "played in that stadium, gotten ready in that locker room, practiced on that field, and walked those halls" is an aspect a coach expects to be able to lean on.

While forging his own path in South Carolina, Coach Woolbright has led his teams to the playoffs in eight of his last nine seasons in Lexington and at Batesburg-Leesville, including a trip to the state championship game in 2016 at Batesburg-Leesville. Woolbright accepted his first high school head coaching position in 2010 at North Myrtle Beach High School, where he transformed a program that went winless early in his tenure to the best record in school history in his final season.

A 2006 graduate of Appalachian State University with a Bachelor of Science in Physical Education, Woolbright began his coaching career on the sidelines in Boone as a student coach at App State, where he was an offensive assistant and helped with the quarterbacks and kickers. He later became the offensive coordinator at Fort Dorchester High School and later as the passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Gaffney High School. He also spent time at the collegiate level, spending a year at Chowan University as the offensive coordinator and a brief stint as interim head coach.

Each stop has helped define the style of play he plans to bring to the Blue Eagles. "We want to be a physical and well-disciplined football team that will play the way the game is supposed to be played," Woolbright remarked. 

In the program's last coaching change, there was a lot of talk about the shift in offensive philosophy. As he takes over at CHS, Coach Woolbright plans to build on the offensive scheme, stating, "Offensively, we will be like what Clover fans have seen with Coach Lane with the addition of a downhill running game that will help set up the throw. We want to be efficient at everything we do."

Coach Woolbright and his wife, Heidi, have three children: Brayden (17), Brody (15), and Brantlee (10).

Quotes

ROD RUTH:

"I could not be more excited to have someone of the caliber of Perry Woolbright at Clover High School.  CHS' reputation for excellence produced an extremely high caliber pool of candidates for our head football coaching position.  Coach Perry Woolbright's history of high-level integrity, athletic success and ability to foster a positive culture makes him an ideal candidate to lead Blue Eagle Nation's football program.  Coach Woolbright brings with him an amazing family, and I am excited about having them all a part of Blue Eagle Nation." 

BAILEY JACKSON:

“Coach Woolbright is an outstanding addition to our football program and athletic department. He has demonstrated success at multiple schools in South Carolina and is well-respected within South Carolina high school football circles. His experiences from high school to college make him a great choice for Clover High School. I look forward to working closely with him and seeing him take our football program to even greater heights.