Driven by success, Tom Knotts trying to win 9th state title

Tom Knotts hasn’t had many losing seasons in his 34 years of coaching football.

But one of them was during his brief stint as an assistant coach at his alma mater, Duke, in 2004. Knotts was the quarterbacks coach under Ted Roof, and the Blue Devils went 2-9.

“It was a tough situation. The players weren’t used to winning. We didn’t have any expectations of winning,” Knotts said. “Kids didn’t have any confidence. Thought I could, maybe, give them a little confidence with my attitude and work ethic. It just wasn’t a good fit. Should have been a dream come true. My family is Duke, and I am Duke born and raised.

“If I could have stuck it out, I might could have been where (Duke football coach) David Cutcliffe is. Who knows? But I love high school and love what I do and I think it is a better fit for me.”

Knotts left Duke after one season and returned to Independence High in Charlotte, which he built into a national power. He was head coach during much of the program’s 109-game winning streak. He won seven state titles there before bringing his winning ways to Dutch Fork in 2010.

Knotts has turned Dutch Fork into one of the premiere programs in the state, and the Silver Foxes are nationally ranked this week in the USA Today Super 25 poll. The Silver Foxes go for their second state title Saturday when they take on Boiling Springs in the Class 5A championship game at Williams-Brice Stadium.

“This year is a little bit of a surprise … but it was one of those years where you built week to week and got better and better and resulted in an undefeated season,” Knotts said. “We are still playing, so we are pretty happy about that.”

But judging by Knotts’ on-field and demeanor, he won’t be entirely happy until the final seconds of the clock count down at Williams-Brice Stadium and his team is hoisting a state championship trophy.

Knotts’ desire to win is what drives him and has helped him become one of the most successful coaches in the Carolinas. He has won 82 percent of his games and racked up 374 victories in his career to go along with eight state championships.

“Whatever it is I do, whether it is riding a bike or playing basketball, it has always been a high standard all my life,” Knotts said. “Something that came from inside. People say they hate to lose, but I hated to lose and it stuck to me ever since.”

Hal Brown saw Knotts’ drive and determination in the 11 seasons he was with him as an assistant at Independence. Brown said he has never been around a more driven coach and still tries to emulate the things he learned from him.

“He never paid attention to scores in games and execution of plays. Try to play the perfect game and strive for that,” said Brown who was the interim coach at Independence this season. “He told us he didn’t ever want anyone to stop coaching until the game is over and we are out there shaking hands.”

Brown said Knotts’ preparation goes from offseason workouts to countless hours of film study. He remembers college coaches telling him about how prepared his former players were when they got to school.

“I don’t know how many hours of film a week he watches. If you told me 50 or 60 hours, I wouldn’t be surprised,” Brown said. “He always is prepared to be a great teacher. I remember when he was teaching social studies here at Independence. He is the best in my book.”

Knotts tries to express his quest for perfection to his players in a variety of ways, and he admits he can be difficult to play for. He told them earlier in the summer he thought they were going to be an average football team and, maybe, go 5-5. Instead, they are a win away from the school’s first unbeaten season.

“You’ve got to listen to what he is saying, not how he is saying it. It will benefit us in the long run,” Dutch Fork Shrine Bowl lineman Malik Sumter said. “Average isn’t acceptable at this school.”

“It can be tough at times, because he gets on you because he knows you can do better. If you aren’t giving your all, he is going to let you know it,” Dutch Fork receiver Bobby Irby said. “But it only makes you better as a football player and a man, too.”

That’s, ultimately, what Knotts hopes to accomplish with his players.

“I’m going to push ’em and try to push all their buttons and try to get the best out of each and every one of them because I believe in them,” Knotts said.

This story was originally published December 17, 2016 at 12:32 AM with the headline "Driven by success, Tom Knotts trying to win 9th state title."