Interim soccer coach

would rather assist
By Steve Behr
 
Johnny Gailes had a chance to be the head coach of both Watauga soccer programs when he was named interim head coach at the start of the boys’ season last fall. After his one year at the top, he’s decided to return to being an assistant coach.

Gailes told Watauga athletic director Jeff Link that he would rather be an assistant coach instead of the head coach Sunday. The job has been posted on the county Web site and on the NCHSAA Web site Monday.

Gailes took over for Doug Kidd, who went to coach at Swansboro last fall. The Watauga boys team went 14-6-1 overall, 10-2 in the Northwestern 4-A Conference, which was good for second place. The Pioneers beat Berry Academy in the first round of the playoffs and lost to East Mecklenburg in a shootout in the second round.

Watauga’s girls went 7-9-3 overall, 6-4-1 in the NWC. Watauga lost to Providence in the first round of the state playoffs.

“We never removed the interim tag since he replaced Doug Kidd,” Link said. “He met with me and said he’d just as soon be the assistant coach.”

Link said ideally he’d like to find one person to coach both programs, but is keeping his options open of having a boys’ coach and a girls’ coach if necessary. He’d also like to have a teacher take the jobs, but there are limited amount of openings in the county for teachers.

“I’d like for them to be (a teacher), but that limits us because we don’t have a lot of openings,” Link said. “We’ll try to work things out and get an opening.”