By CHRIS HOBBS
WORLEY
HobbsDailyReport.com
HICKORY – St. Stephens High has added two new assistants – both former head coaches – to its football staff.
Former Hickory head coach John Worley is coaching offensive linemen and former North Lincoln head coach Scott Stilwell is coaching wide receivers, Indians head coach Wayne Hicks confirmed Wednesday.
Worley coached offensive linemen at HHS, his alma mater, last season while Stilwell, also an HHS graduate, coached running backs last season at Draughn.
STILWELL
Hicks said Worley is a non-faculty coach and Stilwell will teach at St. Stephens.
Both new assistants have long football coaching careers.
Worley’s tenure at HHS includes being head coach from 2003 (replacing David Elder) through 2011. He guided the Red Tornadoes to a 72-40 record that officially goes in the books as 64-48 due to eight forfeits in 2011 that changed HHS’ record to 0-13.
After retiring, Worley worked as an assistant coach at Lenoir-Rhyne University and at Mooresville High before coming back to Hickory’s staff as an assistant coach.
Stilwell was head coach at North Lincoln in 2009 and 2010. He replaced current Newton-Conover head coach Matt Beam at North Lincoln after Beam left the Knights to become head coach at Burns.
North Lincoln went 3-19 in two seasons under Stilwell, whose coaching career also includes stints at (not in order) Alexander Central, Bandys, Draughn, East Burke, Fred T. Foard, Hickory, North Surry and Watauga.
Stilwell spent 12 years at Foard and was head junior varsity coach and offensive coordinator for then-Foard head coach Ryan Gettys before going to North Lincoln.
Worley and Stilwell also coached varsity boys’ basketball.
Worley replaced Hal Boliek as Red Tornadoes’ head coach in 1994-95 and coached them for nine seasons (176-60, four league titles, two league title shares, five West Regionals, two state 3A runners-up finishes).
Stiwell replaced Mark Story, now out of coaching, as Bandys’ boys head coach in 2012-13 and guided the Trojans for two seasons (17-31 record).
Hicks is beginning his fifth season as St. Stephens’ head coach.
The Indians, 3-8 last season, open on Aug. 18 with a home game against Bandys.