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Woolbright selected to lead NMB football program
Perry Woolbright has been hired to lead the Chiefs football program as the new head coach and will also be a physical education teacher at the school.
By Wayne White
The Chiefs have their man and his name is Perry Woolbright.
North Myrtle Beach High School Principal Trevor Strawderman and Athletic Director Joe Quigley have announced that Woolbright has been hired to lead the Chiefs football program as the new head coach and will also be a physical education teacher at the school.
“I am excited and very optimistic about the future and what Coach Woolbright can bring to North Myrtle Beach High,” said Strawderman. “He is extremely enthusiastic and passionate about football and working with young men. He has been exposed to some very successful programs as a player and as a coach. Perry is a third generation coach and is a student of the game.”
Coach Woolbright comes to North Myrtle Beach after serving the last two years as the offensive coordinator at Gaffney High School.
In 2009, he helped Gaffney to a 10-4 overall record before losing in the third round of the S.C. AAAA Playoffs. The Indians were ranked #3 in the state and Coach Woolbright’s no-huddle, up-tempo style of offense averaged 29.5 points and over 361 yards per game.
“I am really excited about the opportunity at North Myrtle Beach High School,” said Woolbright. “The people that I have met so far are very positive. Through discussions with Mr. Strawderman, Coach Quigley and the committee members, I know that the community is ready and hungry for a successful football program.”
And, successful programs are nothing new to this Coach Woolbright. His grandfather and father are both well known as two of the best prep coaches that South Carolina has ever seen.
Cecil, Perry’s grandfather, coached for 36 years at four schools. He won two state championships as the head coach at Chapin High School from 1968 to 1981 and the stadium which Chapin plays in today is called Cecil Woolbright Stadium.
The lineage continues with his father, Marty, who excelled as a player and is still coaching in a career that has spanned over three decades. As a player, Marty was the MVP of both the Shrine Bowl and North-South games in 1970 and starred at the University of South Carolina as a tight end. He was drafted in the seventh round by the New York Giants in 1974 but decided not to pursue a career in the NFL after making the squad as a backup. Marty’s coaching career includes stints at Lower Richland, Gilbert and Clover before he retired in 2002 to follow Perry’s collegiate career at Appalachian State. Marty is now the head coach at Ardrey Kell High School in Charlotte, N.C.
“I have been around and involved with football since before I can remember,” said Perry Woolbright, who began serving as Gilbert High’s water boy at the age of three. “I am excited to begin my head coaching career and hope to build a program as strong and successful as they did.”
Perry was a quarterback at both Clover High School and Appalachian State University. He graduated from Appalachian State and started his coaching career with the Mountaineers as a graduate assistant coach in the fall of 2005. He then spent a year at Fort Dorchester High School as the offensive coordinator and a year at Chowan College as the offensive coordinator before accepting the same position at Gaffney.
“Building a winning program takes time but I will bring intensity and energy to the kids and the community that will help us get to where we need to be,” said Coach Woolbright. “Football can be a snowball effect for the rest of the sports because it is at the beginning of the school year. We will work hard to set a positive and winning tone as quickly as possible.”
As for what to expect on the field, the Chiefs’ faithful can look for an up-tempo style of play on both sides of the ball.
“I will definitely bring my philosophy to the program, both on and off the field,” said Coach Woolbright. “Offensively, the philosophy will be a no huddle, fast paced style. Defensively, we will be a pressing defense that will play with a lot of intensity. The schemes may change a little due to personnel but the philosophy will remain the same.”
Coach Woolbright’s hiring came after an extensive search that saw many qualified candidates interviewed. The committee, made up of community members, school advisory board members, district office staff, school staff, Quigley and Strawderman, were all in agreement when the choice was made.
“It was a unanimous decision,” said Strawderman. “Everyone left the interview feeling great and excited about the decision.
“We had some great interviews and applicants. There were a lot of heavy hitters interviewed but everyone on the committee was like “wow” when Perry left the room.
“He is looking to build a program and do it the right way. Perry believes in structure and discipline and is very confident, as we are, that North Myrtle Beach can be a champion.”
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