After five championship seasons, Dutch Fork assistant taking head job at White Knoll
Nick Pelham has been a part of Dutch Fork High School’s championship coaching staff the past five years. Now, he will get a chance to lead his own program.
White Knoll officially announced the hire of Pelham, the Dutch Fork defensive coordinator, as its new football coach and athletic director, on Wednesday. Pelham replaces Dean Howell, who stepped down in November after eight seasons, and now will take over Northside Christian football program.
Pelham will start teaching at White Knoll next month and assume athletic director duties on July 1.
“I have been fortunate to work in programs that have had great players and coaches,” Pelham said in a release. “I am extremely excited to get started at White Knoll High School and create relationships with the players, their families, and our staff. We will work hard to create a cohesive and successful program where while we compete for championships, players have positive experiences.”
This will be Pelham’s first head-coaching opportunity. He has been at Dutch Fork since 2016, and the Silver Foxes won their fifth straight Class 5A championship with him last month.
It was Pelham’s second stint at Dutch Fork, where he began his coaching career after moving from Michigan more than 20 years ago. Pelham also coached at Richland Northeast and was at Westwood for four seasons under Rodney Summers, who left to build the May River football program.
Many of Summers’ coaches went with him to May River, and Pelham thought he was going to go, too, but he said his wife wasn’t excited about moving. Pelham’s defenses caught the attention of Dutch Fork coach Tom Knotts, and he hired him that offseason. In 2018, Knotts said Pelham would be “coach in waiting” whenever Knotts decides to hang it up, although that doesn’t seem to be any time soon.
“Started looking around at the state at the best defenses out there, who I played and who I saw on film that might give me trouble. I remember coach Pelham at Westwood, they had an aggressive defense. The only thing I didn’t like was they were 3-4. I have been a 4-2 or 4-3 guy,” Tom Knotts said of Pelham in 2018. “But I was getting to the age and energy level where I couldn’t do both anymore (offense and defense). I was heavy-handed into the defense until coach Pelham came.
“Now, I spend little time with defense. I let him do exactly what he wants to do. He is a football junkie and football genius. We are just really blessed to have him.”
Pelham is known for his high intensity and energy on the sidelines, and his defenses at Dutch Fork have been among the state’s best over the past five years. The Silver Foxes allowed just 9.4 points a game this year and gave up more than 14 points just once this season.
In his five seasons, Dutch Fork’s defenses allowed fewer than 14.3 points a game each year and had 17 shutouts.
“Football is a game of passion. It is supposed to be fun and you are supposed to do things right,” Pelham said during an interview in 2018. “And one of the many things I learned under coach Knotts, you got to do it the right way whether it is the last play, the first play, a preseason scrimmage or a practice in May. You got to do it right and try to be perfect on every play.”
White Knoll went 0-5 this season and had its year cut short because of COVID-19 issues that forced the Timberwolves to cancel their final two games.
White Knoll is in Region 5-5A with Dutch Fork, Chapin, Lexington and River Bluff.
Midlands football coach openings
School — Former Coach — New Coach
Hammond — Erik Kimrey — Jon Wheeler
White Knoll — Dean Howell — Nick Pelham
Ben Lippen — James Reynolds — TBD
Richland Northeast — Will Richardson — TBD
This story was originally published January 13, 2021 at 6:34 PM.
