By CHRIS HOBBS
HobbsDailyReport.com
BRYSON PAYNE
BOONE — Watauga High has a new boys’ varsity basketball coach whose dad is a former Pioneers head coach in the same sport.
The Pioneers have selected Bryson Payne, son of Marc Payne, as the replacement for Laura Barry. She will return to coaching only the Watauga varsity girls.
Watauga went 3-9 overall and 2-9 in the Northwestern 3A-4A in a COVID-shortened year last season.
Barry coached the boys’ varsity for two years with her teams going 10-24.
Bryson Payne has been a teacher and coach at Watauga since 2016, and his dad coached there from 1989-90 through the 2001-02 season with four teams reaching the state playoffs and one (1998-99) winning a conference title.
Marc Payne will be an assistant for Watauga with his son this season, he said Thursday. He will additionally be the commissioner/league secretary for the Northwestern 3A-4A.
WATAUGA DEMOCRAT STORY: https://www.wataugademocrat.com/sports/watauga-high-school-names-bryson-payne-head-basketball-coach/article_a0c70448-2772-5396-a0b0-11003907f180.html