Tad Baucom, who developed Sam Howell at Sun Valley, lands
Tad Baucom, who helped launch the athletics program at Hickory Grove Christian nearly two decades ago, is returning as head football coach, the school announced Thursday.
Baucom is a veteran of 38 years in high school coaching, including 35 as a head coach.
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He resigned earlier this year as head football coach at Sun Valley High in Union County, where he had spent six years. Among his players at Sun Valley was UNC quarterback Sam Howell.
Baucom served as athletics director when Hickory Grove Christian, located in Charlotte, started its high school sports program in the early 2000’s.
He grew up in Mint Hill, attended Independence High and Appalachian State and became head football coach at Piedmont High in 1978. That launched a career spent mostly in Union County — as head football coach at Piedmont, Central Academy, Monroe and Sun Valley. Baucom also was head softball coach for 10 years at Piedmont.
He left the area for a few years in the early 1980s to coach football at Pender Academy and Topsail.
His 1989 Monroe team finished 11-4 and lost in the 2A state championship. His 2017 Sun Valley team, with Howell at quarterback, also finished 11-4 and reached the Western regional finals.
Baucom’s career head football coaching record is 180-133. He coached two NFL players and more than 100 players who earned college scholarships. He was an assistant coach with the North Carolina team in the 2019 Shrine Bowl.
At Hickory Grove Christian, he takes over a team that finished 0-8 last season but has starters returning at 12 positions.
Tad Baucom, who helped launch the athletics program at Hickory Grove Christian nearly two decades ago, is returning as head football coach, the school announced Thursday.
Baucom is a veteran of 38 years in high school coaching, including 35 as a head coach.
This story is a subscriber exclusive
He resigned earlier this year as head football coach at Sun Valley High in Union County, where he had spent six years. Among his players at Sun Valley was UNC quarterback Sam Howell.
Baucom served as athletics director when Hickory Grove Christian, located in Charlotte, started its high school sports program in the early 2000’s.
He grew up in Mint Hill, attended Independence High and Appalachian State and became head football coach at Piedmont High in 1978. That launched a career spent mostly in Union County — as head football coach at Piedmont, Central Academy, Monroe and Sun Valley. Baucom also was head softball coach for 10 years at Piedmont.
He left the area for a few years in the early 1980s to coach football at Pender Academy and Topsail.
His 1989 Monroe team finished 11-4 and lost in the 2A state championship. His 2017 Sun Valley team, with Howell at quarterback, also finished 11-4 and reached the Western regional finals.
Baucom’s career head football coaching record is 180-133. He coached two NFL players and more than 100 players who earned college scholarships. He was an assistant coach with the North Carolina team in the 2019 Shrine Bowl.
At Hickory Grove Christian, he takes over a team that finished 0-8 last season but has starters returning at 12 positions.
