How a Duke leader influenced the hiring of Coach K and this high school football coach
Duke and Triangle basketball fans know the story of Tom Butters hiring an unknown coach from Army 40 years ago. Even through early struggles with the Blue Devils, Butters, the schools athletic director, stuck with Mike Krzyzewski. Coach K is still at Duke but he’s now in the hall-of-fame and has led the Blue Devils to five national titles.
But Krzyzewski was not the only the Triangle coach hire that Butters, who died in 2016, had influenced.
In the early 1980s, Butters received a call from Ravenscroft inquiring about candidates for a job as head football coach. He suggested Ned Gonet, a recent Duke graduate, who he had been impressed with. .
Gonet was interviewed and hired for the job in 1981.
The Ravens open their 40th season under Gonet Friday at home against Fayetteville’s Trinity Christian.
“My intentions were not to be here that long,” Gonet said. “As the years went by, I was involved with a special school with its academics and athletics. I stayed for multiple reasons. You have kids come through here, and you want to see their class through to the end. Then another class comes along and you want to see them through.
“I’ve been here long enough I had two of my boys play for me (Cole, 30, and Connor, 28). I’ve not only had players’ kids play for me, now I’ve got grandkids playing for me. I don’t regret it. It’s been a good run. I’ve been involved with a lot of fine young men and women and their families.”
Gonet’s many roles at Ravenscroft
In addition to being the school’s head football coach, Gonet has been the school’s athletic director and girls basketball and baseball coach He coached baseball for 30 years and girls basketball for 15. He’s still the athletic director.
He’s led the Ravens to five state titles in football and two in girls basketball. But the rewards haven’t been just about hoisting trophies and hanging banners.
“You have to look at it as you’re having some kind of impact on young lives. You want to provide guidance and encouragement to help them to achieve their academic and athletic desires and goals,” he said. “It’s not just winning the games. Some of the most satisfying seasons have been when you have a group that isn’t as talented as other teams, but they listened, worked hard and overachieved.”
Mike McGee, the late Blue Devils College Football Hall of Fame player and head coach from 1971 to 1978, recruited Gonet to play at Duke. Gonett played for McGee until his senior season when he played for coach Ray Wilson. His baseball coach was Tom D’Amari.
Ravenscroft football finished last season 8-4. The Ravens return 12 starters and 23 lettermen, including senior quarterback Gavin Mathan. He threw for 1,774 yards and 21 touchdowns a year ago.
Senior Thomas Brown is back after gaining 508 yards receiving with nine touchdowns. The defense is led by senior defensive back Julian Quao (92 tackles, three interceptions) and junior defensive end Kyle Morin (37 tackles, four sacks).
Other key returning starters are junior Drake Hamlin (OT/DT), senior Noah Bennett (OL/DL/P), senior Fabrizzio Jimenez (OL/DL) and senior Dean Swift (K).
Trinity Christian at Ravenscroft
When: 7 p.m., Friday
This story was originally published October 2, 2020 at 5:00 AM with the headline "How a Duke leader influenced the hiring of Coach K and this high school football coach."