By Mike London
mike.london@salisburypost.com

SALISBURY — Saturday was a great day for Salisbury head football coach Brian Hinson.

There was a state championship parade, followed by a birthday party for his 10-year-old daughter.

“I’m on daddy duty,” Hinson said. “Nine little girls coming over here, and I’m mowing the grass to get ready.”

The 2AA state championship made Hinson an easy choice for the Post’s Rowan County Coach of the Year. This is the fourth time he’s been honored and the third since he returned to the high school ranks at the helm of the Hornets in 2017.

It goes without saying that it was an unusual season.

“For all the coaches in Rowan County, it started in June, not knowing when we would play and not knowing if we would play because of COVID,” Hinson said. “We put everything we had into it.”

While most Rowan teams had to settle for seven-game seasons, the Hornets pushed it to the maximum 11 and won their last nine.

Championships require talented, hard-working players and dedicated assistant coaches. Hinson was quick to acknowledge that fact.

“Since I’ve been at Salisbury, I thought this year’s staff was probably the best we’ve had,” Hinson said. “When you’ve got a great staff, they can take care of a lot of things, and the head coach just has to manage. And when you’ve got the Defensive Player of the Year, the Special Teams Player of the Year and a Co-Offensive Player of the Year, the best thing you can do as a head coach sometimes is just to get out of their way.”

The championship recognition on Saturday will leave Hinson with pleasant memories that will last long after his 10-year-old has grown.

“I was looking around today and nine of these players were there when I first came to Salisbury,” Hinson said. “A championship team is a four-year process and those guys formed the backbone of our program. I’m happy they got to experience winning a state championship. Now they’ve got a story for a lifetime.”

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