THE LITTLE FILE
A look at Luke Little’s football career as a player and head coach:
PLAYER
(at West Stanly High)
1992: Played on a 6-4 team with 30 carries for 170 yards and also had 30 tackles, 40 assists, a fumble recovery and two sacks as a freshman.
1993: Ran 40 times for 225 yards and added 26 tackles, 28 assists, an interception, two fumble recoveries and three sacks as a sophomore on a 5-6 team that reached the state playoffs.
1994: Had 82 tackles, 67 assists and two fumble recoveries on a 2-9 team as a junior, also playing fullback and rushing 20 times for 103 yards.
1995: Earned a spot on the West roster for the East-West All-Star Game in Greensboro after a senior season where he focused on defense, closing with 71 tackles, 46 assists and two fumble recoveries. West Stanly went 7-5 and lost at Thomasville in the first round of the state playoffs.
COACHING
2001-02: West Brunswick, assistant football coach, head JV baseball coach
2002-05: Whiteville, offensive coordinator, assistant baseball coach.
2006-07: West Brunswick, offensive coordinator, head JV baseball coach.
2007-12: South Stanly head coach, 35-31 record.. South Stanly was 28-37 in the five seasons before Little came there.
2012-17: Whiteville head coach, 53-24 record, four league titles, four-time pick as Three Rivers Coach of Year and Columbus County Coach of Year … Whiteville was 27-30 in the five seasons before Little became head coach.
SOURCE: Little’s playing career by HobbsDailyReport.com research and files; Little’s coaching career, press release by Burke County Public Schools.
By CHRIS HOBBS
HobbsDailyReport.com
MORGANTON – Freedom High hired a second generation coach to guide its football program on Tuesday, tabbing a veteran who says he never thought about doing anything else for a living other than coaching.
“I guess it’s all I have ever known,” said Luke Little, who is leaving Whiteville after five seasons to become the 12th head football coach in Freedom’s history. “With my dad a coach … I didn’t know there was anything else you are supposed to do.”
Little, 40, will arrive for full-time work in Morganton on March 26 and join the physical education staff at Freedom and replace Jim Bob Bryant, who resigned after one season, as the Patriots’ head coach.
Freedom is holding a meet-and-greet for Little and the community at the school’s teaching theater from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday.
Little is the son of Mark Little, for whom he played at West Stanly. His dad is “retired” but has been a volunteer coach at East Bladen each of the last two seasons, and his head-coaching spots include West Stanly, Whiteville and West Columbus.
Luke Little has been coaching for 17 years with a resume that includes time as an assistant coach at West Brunswick (two tenures) and Whiteville, then head coach at South Stanly and Whiteville. His career record as a head coach is 88-55.
His teams at Whiteville went 53-24 and won four conferences titles (including last season) and he was conference coach of the year and Columbus County Coach of the Year four times.
Luke Little said the football tradition at Freedom appealed to him, as well as the region’s history of fielding good football teams.
He played baseball at Appalachian State after a prep football career that includes making the West All-Star team for the annual East-West All-Star Game in Greensboro after his senior season (1995) at West Stanly.
A versatile player, Little played fullback and linebacker for his dad his first three prep seasons (1992-94) before focusing on defense as a senior. He finished, unofficially, with 498 rushing yards and as one of Stanly County’s top defenders (209 tackles, 181 assists, seven fumble recoveries).
Part of what he learned playing for his dad, he said, will be incorporated in his approach to coaching at Freedom.
At West Stanly, Little filled whatever role was needed. As a senior, he had nearly 700 yards of kickoff returns and became the Colts’ kicker (12 extra points, two 27-yard field goals).
West Stanly went 6-4, 5-6, 2-9 and 7-5 in Luke Little’s four seasons there.
“I’m gonna do what I have always done,” Luke Little said, noting that he prefers to build his offense around the type of players he has.
“We’ll build off the personnel we have,” he said.
Little’s inquiry about the Freedom job came about three weeks ago. He said the final bits and pieces of making the move came together over the weekend.
“I just wanted to get back to the area (Western North Carolina),” he said. “Freedom has a tradition of good sports programs and academics.
“It’s a football area and I have two boys that are middle school age and good athletes. I’m ready to get up that way.”
Freedom went 4-3 in the Northwestern 3A-4A last season, tying for third place, and reached the postseason for the sixth straight season. The Patriots finished 7-5 overall to go 13-11 in the last two seasons after they had won 10 or more games in six straight seasons.
Little is the sixth head coach in Morganton since Tim McMahon left after the 2005 season, the others being Jason Watson (three years), Mike Helms (four years), Blair Hardin (one year), Brandon Allen (three years) and Bryant (one year).
WHAT THEY ARE SAYING
Comments from Freedom High and Burke County Public Schools personnel, provided via a press release Tuesday, about the hiring of Luke Little as the Patriots’ head football coach:
“I am excited about Coach Little’s stability, organizational goals and his vision for the Patriot football program. He has a passion for students to not only succeed as great athletes but also as great citizens.” — Felicia Simmons, Freedom principal
“Coach Little will bring a foundation of toughness and stability to Freedom High School football, which is something our football program has been looking for.
“He has a proven track record, and he’s a guy I think our kids will respond well to and play hard for. Good things are in store for us.” – Casey Rogers, Freedom athletic director.
“I appreciate the Freedom High School administration for taking their time in the selection process and using their professional judgement to hire a teacher and a coach that will have the best interest of our kids in mind.” – Dr. Larry Putnam, BCPS Superintendent.