Banks County High School Athletic Director and head football coach Blair Armstrong has tendered his letter of resignation effective as of March 10.
Armstrong, who came to Banks County in 2007, led the football team in breaking a decade long playoff drought with the successful 2008 campaign and then completed the most recent season, 7-3, the highest win-loss record since 1997.
Armstrong will leave Banks County to take a position as the head football coach at North Forsyth High School replacing Jared Zito. North Forsyth is a Region 6, 5A school and was coached by Zito since 2007. The North Forsyth Raiders went 5-6 last season.
“These four years here at BCHS have been awesome,” Armstrong said. “The support of the school staff, community, parents and players has made these four years some of the most enjoyable in my career. Thank you Banks County.”
Armstrong serves as the athletic director, head football coach and strength coach for the Leopards.
“I hadn't really been looking for another school when this opening was mentioned to me by a friend,” said Armstrong. “ I sent in a resume and the Lord has opened up the door really wide. I will be the head coach but will not have athletic director duties or strength coach duties. The time it takes to take care of all those duties is overwhelming.”
“If not for Mr. Wheaton, who has basically done half the athletic director duties during football season for me, I would not have been able to have accomplished very much,” he said.
Among those accomplishments at Banks County was a trip to the first round of the state playoffs, two wining seasons for the football program and seeing the Leopards basically dominate the mountain schools after a subdivide in the 8-AA region.
However the most telling legacy Armstrong will leave is how he made it a point to have the players face their hang-ups and motivated them to take the reigns and keep their heads high and to always finish.
“I had promised these seniors, when I came, that I would see them through their senior season,” Armstrong said. “I am so proud of how hard they all worked to accomplish this 7-3 season. I still have some seniors who are about to finish up their recruiting decisions and we will be announcing soon where these guys will be going to play at the next level.”
The move to North Forsyth for Armstrong is also opening up more time for him outside of work.
“I plan to have more time to spend with my wife and family,” he said.
According to Banks County superintendent Chris Erwin, the school system is grateful for the work Armstrong put into the varsity football program and for working with the students. Erwin said he hopes Armstrong will succeed at North Forsyth and is sure the foundation Armstrong built for the Leopard football program will continue to see fruition.
Armstrong’s record at Banks County after four years is 19-22, with the best season being 2010’s 7-3.
A replacement or interim athletic director and head football coach had not been announced as of press time. It is likely that high school principal Art Wheaton will continue to fill some roles as athletic director until the end of the school year.
If anyone took the time to watch and see the dedication to the kids that Coach Armstrong brought they would realize what a great loss he is to our program. I sincerely hope Banks County will go get a Coach that is a proven winner and not drop us back in the pre-Coach Armstrong days!
TO COACH: I wish you much success in your new position! I am sure the North Forsyth team will benefit just like we did- probably much more since you will focus strictly on football and calling the plays that have made you so successful. My prayers are with you and your wife and I can assure you we will stop by to see a game or two (or more) of your new team. THe BC sidelines will definitely look different next year.
Thanks for your efforts!
YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE - have you moved your other children to another school yet?
2. As for BCHS Dad, I'm not sure what kind of magic wand you think the principal or superintendent have; Armstrong is being paid more money for less work at a more affluent school with more athletes. All this in a time when the schools have very little money to work with.
Ode to Banks County a synopsis of the Armstrong Era.
When Coach Armstrong came to Banks County he stated the small town feel is what guided him here.
Well folks (Banks County residents) a book is not always judged by its cover. While first impressions are important... Building a WINNING TRADITION be it in football or life CHANGE must occur! That is something this county is afraid of. People refer to it as the "Good Ole Boy Network" I prefer to use the term IGNORANCE. Thats a whole different story...
But it is relevant to the reason(s) that probably led to Coach Armstrong to seek another opportunity where his skill, talent & desire to build a final legacy in a proven career will be respected and appreciated!
One only has to look at the feable attempt to construct an equipment shed for storing sports equipment.Or the unfinshed greeting area in the field house.
That was suppose to be a place where recruiters from colleges would come and speak with our coaching staff(s) as they assess our children for athletics at the next level.
How long has it been Banks County since work began on the equipment shed? 6, 10, 12 months? What do we have to show other than a weathered unfinished framed structure rotting to the ground. Thats the support the Coach has been receiving from the community!
This project with a desire to succeed and community support should have taken no more than 3 weekends with about 6 dads. I know many will say I am not a builder. Granted many of us are not. Could we have all supported the project with a $10 or $20 dollar donation. Yes!
Could the Coaches Club(if it still exists) or Booster Club helped coordinate this effort? Sure!
Did they? Just drive by the high school baseball fields for your answer.
Now again ask yourselves why is Coach Armstrong leaving?
I was one of the parents in the contingent that went with Coach Armstrong to visit North Halls athletic facilities and spoke with Coach Christmas about what it took to build a WINNING TRADITION. One of the first things we were told while community support is important get ready to open your check books because most school budgets cannot fully support the needs of building a winning tradition. A comment was made by one of the parents referring to Banks County and I quote " The roots run deep but... The branches are short".
And so the Blair Armstrong era began.
Support the first year was their! The building blocks were layed and off we went. The coaches club was formed. Then... The Banks County effect began to rear its ugly head. If you weren't in the "good ole boy network" your opinion, skills do not matter and you were shunned.
Coach Armstrong continued his steady as we go efforts. Never wavering once as to what was unfolding before his eyes.
I really wonder when he realized that we as a community were not ready to accept change, and be worthy of his or his families services? Last year? Two years ago? Only the coach really knows.
With regards to the school system.
The day coach Armstrong made his offical announcement to the team that he was resigning (2/15/11). I heard about it by 11:00 AM. Shocked as I was, I was not surprised. Everyone reaches a saturation point. Coach reached his.
I frantically called people I knew who were in the know to see if we could right the ship and keep the coach here.
Spoke with everyone from players, parents, to community officals, the newspaper, & the high school principal. A shocking revelation occured while no one wanted Coach Armstrong to leave no one was doing anything to try and change his mind?
In speaking with the high school principal on Thursday 2/17/11. I stated you must be swamped with calls regarding Coaches decision. He said no not really. I asked how many calls have you received regarding his decision. His response was and I quote "YOU". I said "Your kidding". He said as sad as it was, I was the only parent to call. My son is not even in high school yet.
A message to Banks County
We as individuals and collective as a community have no one to blame but ourselves, for the loss our children and we as a community will suffer from the coaches decision to leave.
We can only learn from it and move on.
Everyone my family included is suffering from the effects of the new economy. With that being said ask yourselves did "I" (we as a community fully support the coach and the program)? If your answer is yes then sleep tight and sweet dreams.
If your answer is no. Then let us learn from it and try to pull together as a community so the next coach who decides to make Banks County home, does not suffer from the apathy that the former staff experienced. Banks County OUR children will be the ones to suffer.
Remember Banks County a book is not always judged by it cover, & change can be a good thing with an open mind and heart!
BC proud is more than words it must be demonstrated by acts as well!
Blair & family YOU WILL BE MISSED!
GO RAIDERS
North Hall changed from a traditional stepping stone to a top rated club. IT does take alot of effort and willingness to change.
I can only echo your comments as to when did the coach realize what was happening and how little support he was going to receive and in what amount of blame was going to come his way? It is sad, I can only thank God my son finished under Coach Armstrong and his staff. The staff has been more than coaches but mentors for my son's future and I will forever be grateful. I am not one of the big money supporters so don't think specail attention was paid for! I am sorry that his era had to end so soon, many of the kids would have had great benefit from working with this coach.
If you take a look at the North Forsyth Booster Club website - you will see the dedication and commitment that they have for their program. There are support staff of employees and volunteers to do everything possible to make their program a success- not just on the field but to hlep players move to the next level. Banks County could take a lesson from this if (we) are really interested in changing the Banks COunty Legacy. As I mentioned my son was at the field house on 2/25. HE said the phone was ringing off the hook with people wanting to stop the coach from leaving. There was a group of parents willing to go as far as picketing the High School and BOE, but this was stopped before it got out of hand.
Knowing what I know now I cannot believe Mr. Wheaton didn't get his fair share of questions. I'm not so sure he didn't have more response than he lead you to believe.
I can confirm- I will be at a North Forsyth game this year t osee how the coach is doing - I cannot confirm that I will attend a BCHS game until I see what kind of Coach is hired and how the community supports him.
bc sports- go back to your old habits and continue business as normal and watch the program continue at the same rate as the 10 years before COach Armstrong came here.
And to follow up on some other points, there is a huge good old boy network at place in the BC School System. Just look at a certain principal who married into a family to advance his career. His daddy-in-law stayed on the BOE long enough to get him what he wanted and then he split.
BC will never be successful in football because of all the points made by Ode to Banks County and the Good Old Boy Network.
He came here because... as it was told to me by a person VERY close to the coach. He was seeking a program to turn around and retire at with a small town feel and great community support.
He left Peachtree Ridge because he felt more like a CEO of a corporation than an educator. That is where WE as a community failed.
On the bright side one of the candidates who have submitted an application is a Coach Cole.
From what I am hearing he uses the same system as our former coach everything down to the terminology. If his people skills are anything close to Coach Armstrong then the decision seems to be a no brainer.
I would love for the school system & board let a parents group whose children will be involved in the program have a say in the recruitment & selection of the next coach.