By Mike London
mike.london@salisburypost.com

LANDIS — Daniel Yow, head football coach at South Rowan for six seasons, is stepping down.

“It was a mutually agreed upon decision by the administration and me,” Yow said. “Six seasons and only 12 wins. As much as I love the kids at South and as much as I don’t want to leave South, I know that it’s time for a change — for the South football program and for me.”

South’s administration is headed by principal Amanda Macon, who took over last spring, and long-time AD Angie Chrismon.

Yow, who will go in the record books 12-50, was hired by previous principal Kelly Withers.

He said he exits with a “heavy heart”and with gratitude for the opportunity he received.

Yow was a good player at Mount Pleasant High.

In his days as a Catawba College offensive lineman, Yow had the necessary work ethic to progress steadily from redshirt to backup to starter to standout.

After graduating from Catawba, Yow spent three seasons at Salisbury High working under coach Joe Pinyan. Yow was part of the Hornets’ 2010 state championship season.

His next stop was Hickory Ridge. In three years in Harrisburg, he became head track coach and head wrestling coach in addition to coaching the outside linebackers for the football team. His last two seasons with the Bulls, he was defensive coordinator.

Then he was hired to lead the Raiders, who hadn’t been in a football playoff game since 2009 and had just endured an 8-45 five-year stretch.

Yow took the reins in 2015. There were two 1-10 seasons as a member of the 3A South Piedmont Conference. The last four seasons, South competed in the 2A Central Carolina Conference and posted records of 3-8, 2-8, 2-9 and 2-5.

It’s not all about wins and losses, but in football, the bottom line is critical. A winning football program means a lot.

Football is important as both a fundraiser for the other athletic programs and as a unifying and rallying point for the community and student body.

“I’m always optimistic,” Yow said. “Every year we pushed the kids hard as a coaching staff and built them up the best we could and every year I believed we were going to have a better team. I do think we won most of the games we had a chance to win. On the nights we were overmatched, we still gave our best effort. We never once went into a game not believing we could win it.”

But there were nights when “overmatched” was putting it mildly. This season ended for the Raiders with 54-7, 56-27 and 62-3 losses to North Davidson, Central Davidson and Salisbury squads that were a lot bigger, faster and deeper.

South obviously has a ways to go to compete with the really good teams.  And South is on the verge of moving back to the 3A ranks this fall in a conference where rivals will include East Rowan, Carson and West Rowan.

“Hopefully, the next head coach that is hired can take South to another level,” Yow said. “Speaking selfishly, I wish it could have been me,  but I want nothing but success for these kids, this school and for this football program.”

Yow had a chance to talk to team members on Tuesday and broke the news to them.

He is still processing recent developments, but he’s young and has no doubts that he wants to continue his coaching career.

“I’m putting in applications for head coaching jobs and looking at the opportunities that are out there,” Yow said. “I’ll do what’s best for my family. I’d like to be a head coach, but if I don’t land a head job, I’ll be the very best assistant I can be.”

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