Patton in search of new football coach

By: Morganton News Herald Staff | Media General News Service
Published: January 08, 2010

Morganton --

Patton High's third varsity football season will be guided by a new head coach.
J.K. Adkins, who started the school's junior varsity program in 2007 and then coached the varsity for two years, is leaving for a job at Salisbury.
Patton athletic director Rich Linens announced Adkins' move on Thursday.
"We are sorry to see him leave, and his tireless work building a program from the ground up has left the football program with a strong foundation," Linens said. "Coach Adkins will be missed, and the head football position will be advertised as soon as possible."
Two of Burke County's four high schools are now looking for a new head football coach. The East Burke job is vacant after the retirement of Mike Biggerstaff. At Salisbury, Adkins will rejoin head coach Joe Pinyan's staff effective Feb. 1. Adkins was Pinyan's defensive coordinator for two years at Salisbury, starting in 2002.
From there, Adkins became head coach at South Iredell in 2005. The Vikings went 5-7 and 8-6, and Adkins was hired to build Patton's program before the school opened in 2007.
After some scheduling difficulties arose, Patton backed out of playing varsity football in the Catawba Valley Athletic 2A-3A in 2007. The Panthers fielded only a junior varsity team that year and it won seven of 10 games.
In 2008, Patton started varsity play in the CVAC 2A-3A and went 2-7 in the league to finish in eighth place. The Panthers were 3-8 overall.
Last season, Patton moved up from class 2A to 3A and was realigned into the South Mountain Athletic 2A-3A. The Panthers went 1-5 in the league (sixth place) and 4-7 overall.
At Salisbury, Adkins joins a program coming off a 10-5 season that included losing at Newton-Conover in the West 2AA championship game.
"I appreciate the opportunity to have worked with a fine Patton program and Burke County School system and will miss the kids the most," Adkins said. "I have had super coaches to work with and wish them and the students all the success for the future.
"The kids I have worked with have been some of the best that I have ever been associated with, and I believe the foundation for future Panthers football teams has been well-established."