ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, November 21, 1996 TAG: 9611210066
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-2 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: BOB TEITLEBAUM STAFF WRITER
MEMO: NOTE: Shorter version ran in Metro edition.
Franklin County has hired an old hand to be its new football coach.
Jerry Little, who stepped in at midseason when Horace Green was fired, is now the Eagles' full-time coach. He'll also retain his duties as athletic director.
Little's immediate goal is to lead Franklin County to a winning record, something no other coach has done since 1978. Green was the latest in a long line of coaches who have failed to win at the Rocky Mount school.
``I approached Jerry after the season about being the new coach,'' said Franklin County principal Benny Gibson. ``I just feel Jerry is what we need right now. He knows the program, its strengths and its weaknesses. He has excellent rapport with the students and he knows football.''
Little did not make an immediate decision about taking the job full-time. His popularity soared after his second game when the Eagles stunned Patrick Henry 38-22. Still, Franklin County finished 1-2 under Little and went 3-7 for the year.
``I made up my mind [to take the job] the day before yesterday,'' Little said Wednesday. ``I believe in what we have going here. We're mighty close. When Benny threw this out to me my initial reaction was that I didn't expect it.''
Little is regarded as a native son by Franklin County residents since he was one of Ferrum College's greatest football players and a coach for the school when it was a junior college.
He moved to William Fleming as an assistant coach and then took over as Cave Spring's head coach from 1986-91. Under Little, the Knights were 2-18 the first two years, but finished 16-25 in his last four seasons and made the 1990 Northwest Region, Division 5 playoffs.
Little left football when he was offered a chance to become Franklin County's athletic director. At the time, he walked away from coaching current Virginia stars Tiki and Ronde Barber, two of the finest players in Timesland, in their senior seasons at Cave Spring.
So why does Little think he can succeed where others have failed at Franklin County? ``I know where some of the problem areas are,'' Little said. ``I believe every coach feels he's the person to turn a program around. You know how that is.
``We have around 30 juniors. There's a nucleus there [with which to win],'' said Little.
The new Eagle coach added that being athletic director and coach won't be a problem. ``It can be done. It's a matter of getting everything organized. You know, people are always coming to you asking for this and that,'' he said.
LENGTH: Medium: 54 linesby CNB