LILLINGTON — George Coltharp Jr. is ready to turn Western Harnett into a contender.
Coltharp, who was introduced as the Eagles’ new head football coach on Tuesday, replaces Mark Kirk. Kirk left after just one year on the job to take over the football program at Neah-Kah-Nie High School in Rockaway Beach, Ore.
Coltharp has seven years of experience as an assistant and head coach was the head coach of Westover from 2002-06. In his third season with the Wolverines, he guided them to the second round of the 4-A state playoffs for only the second time in the school’s history. For the last three years, Coltharp has served as an assistant principal at Westover Middle School and Douglas Byrd High School.
“I’m excited about this opportunity,” said Coltharp. “I’ve been wanting to get back into coaching for a while. I met with the kids earlier and they’re excited and they’re ready to get right to work.”
Coming to Western Harnett was an easy choice as soon as Coltharp stepped onto the campus.
“The proximity was right and the timing was right,” said Coltharp. “Coming to Western Harnett just felt right. I felt like I fit at Western Harnett and that’s my biggest reason for coming to Western.”
Western Harnett principal William Wright said he is proud of the hiring of Coltharp and feels that he is the right man for the job.
“I think he’ll be great for our kids,” said Wright. “The biggest thing I think he can do is reinstall some confidence back into our program. I think he’ll do very well at Western Harnett.”
The search for Kirk’s replacement came down to nine candidates. Other than Coltharp, only one other candidate had previous head coaching experience.
“He best fit our needs and was the one candidate that had the most head coaching experience,” said Wright. “We’re definitely excited about having him come to our school and take over our football program.”
Before becoming coach at Westover in 2002, Coltharp was an assistant at E.E. Smith High School in Fayetteville. He has coached NFL players like Jason Hunter of the Detroit Lions, Tank Tyler of the Kansas City Chiefs and former Wake Forest star and now NFL rookie Aaron Curry of the Seattle Seahawks.
Coltharp played college football at East Carolina and Appalachian State. With his years of playing and his years of coaching, he feels that he can use the experience gained to improve the Eagles.
“I’m a young guy,” said Coltharp, 33. “But I do have experience. I bring experience and enthusiasm. I’m passionate about winning and I think this program can go in the right direction.”
In his one season, Kirk helped the Eagles snap a 26-game losing streak that had been hindering the program for three seasons. The Eagles finished the 2008 season with a 4-8 overall record and sustained a 55-10 loss to Harnett Central in the first round of the 3-A state playoffs. It was the first time since 2005 that the Eagles had made it to the playoffs.
“Coach Kirk came into a program that was not winning and put some confidence and hope back into the team,” said Wright. “My hope is that
Coltharp continues the trend that Kirk set and keeps the program going in the right direction and I think he will.”
It’s not just Wright’s goal. It’s Coltharp’s hope as well.
“Coach Kirk did an amazing job with this program,” said Coltharp. “I know all about rebuilding. I took Westover to the playoffs in my third year. The main thing I want these kids to do is to have fun while playing at Western Harnett. We’re going to be moving into a new conference this season and it’s a way for us to start a new legacy. I want our fans to know when they wake up on Saturday morning that their team had a fight on Friday night. I’m excited to get things started.”
