His career began in South Carolina, but he ended up in Wake County as an assistant coach for longtime Apex coach Bob Wolfe. Later, he was hired as the head football coach at Leesville Road, taking over a program that had struggled to find wins.

Things changed pretty quickly under Green’s leadership. In six seasons, Green’s teams compiled records of 52-24, including a trip to the 4AA eastern regional championship game in 2007. It was a period when Wake County football stepped up its game after struggling to compete at the state level for a long time, and Leesville Road was a big part of that change.

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Green left Leesville Road and Wake County to take over as the head coach at Williams in Alamance County. He later returned to Wake County as the head coach at Enloe, then at Green Hope, which was his last stop before retirement.

His career as a head coach in North Carolina helped Green establish a reputation of turning around struggling programs. He found success at every stop.

Though his time as a coach is done, Green has not stepped away from high school sports. In retirement, he is hosting his own podcast — “Did I Ever Tell You About…?” The podcast is about experiences and stories Green recalls from his 49 years on the sidelines. He’s a great storyteller, too.

In this interview, we discuss Green’s new podcast, his time as a high school coach, and his thoughts on how high school sports have evolved over the past 50 years. He’s concerned about the direction high school football is headed for many reasons.

• Did I Ever Tell You About? on YouTube

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The N.C. Coaches Association East-West All-Star Games ended on Tuesday night with girls and boys soccer players taking the pitch, and both games ended with last-minute fireworks leading to draws at G…

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The East teams took home wins in both the boys and girls basketball games at the N.C. Coaches Association East-West All-Star Games on Monday night at the Greensboro Coliseum Fieldhouse.

In the girls g…

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The number of registered high school sports officials remains above pre-pandemic levels and grew by six percent during the last school year, according to a follo…

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The N.C. Coaches Association has announced a handful of roster changes ahead of next week’s East-West All-Star Games.

All-star games start on Monday with girls and boys basketball at the Novant Health…

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Several thousand coaches are expected to gather in Greensboro for the multi-day event, and dozens of athletes will participate in basketball and soccer all-star games on Monday and Tuesday.

Ahead of the event, I invited NCCA executive secretary and clinic director Joe Franks onto the Varsity Views podcast to talk about how they plan the clinic each year, tips & tricks for coaches looking to avoid long lines, how players and coaches are selected for the all-star games, what happens when a replacement player is needed, and more.

Enjoy this bonus episode of the Varsity Views podcast, and we’ll be back next week with our regular episode.

Want to buy tickets to the all-star games? Go to EastWestAllStars.com

The news that Miami Northwestern High School suspended NFL veteran quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, who won a state championship last season as the school’s head coach, for providing “impermissible benefits” to his players was a lot of things: insane, asinine, laughable, unbelievable, and also revealing.

What happened?

On July 7, Bridgewater posted on Facebook about the out-of-pocket expenses he had last season as the head coach of his alma mater. He paid approximately $700 per week for Uber rides for players, spent $14,000 on training camp, $9,500 on apparel, $300 per week on field paint, and $2,200 on pre-game meals.

Let’s remember this is being classified as “impermissible benefits.” But these are benefits that Bridgewater himself — not the school, not the state association — reported publicly on social media. It would seem it was not exactly an attempt to cover up something shady.

According to Yahoo! Sports, Bridgewater made $64.8 million during his NFL career. Celebrity Net Work says he has a net worth of approximately $24 million. The nearly $100,000 he spent last season covering expenses for his team is about 0.4% of his overall net worth.

It’s a substantial amount of money compared to what most high school football coaches can afford to invest in their programs, which is a significant reason why it garnered headlines. However, what doesn’t get headlines is the number of coaches who are doing exactly what Bridgewater did: paying for meals, rides, equipment, camp fees, recruiting trips, and many other expenses for their players.

This is not the exception; it’s the norm. It happens because programs are underfunded and underresourced, and the people who are signing up as high school coaches are in it to help kids.

In 2017, Coach & AD Magazine released data showing 87.1% of high school coaches in the United States say their program doesn’t receive enough funding. In 2021, the Aspen Institute surveyed over 10,000 coaches and found 82% said their programs did not receive enough funding to cover all team expenses in the prior season.

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Sen. Sophia Chitlik (Durham) joined the show to discuss her bill that would set aside $11 million in tax revenue from sports betting to ensure all full-time middle and high school coaches in North Carolina can make at least $3,000 in supplemental income for their work.

Right now, at least 77 school districts have average coaching supplements that are below the $3,000 threshold.

Sen. Chitlik discussed why she believes this bill is essential, the bipartisan support it has, where it stands in the legislative process, and why she thinks investing in high school sports (and coaches) is essential for the community.

Side Note: Sen. Chitlik’s district was significantly impacted by flooding in early July. If you’d like to assist the nearly 100 people who were displaced and the many others who suffered property damage, the senator recommends Day One Relief Fund and Triangle Mutual Aid.

Clayton QB Aiden Smalls flips to NC State

Aiden Smalls is a talented, dual-threat quarterback at Clayton High School who passed for nearly 2,000 yards and rushed for more than 1,000 yards last season as a junior.

Smalls originally committed to Rice, he says, because they promised a shot at playing quarterback, his preferred position. However, after an official visit to NC State, Smalls flipped his commitment. He won’t be playing quarterback for the Wolfpack, but he still believes he will be a playmaker.

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Got suggestions?

Let us know what you think about the podcast, share your ideas for future episodes, or make recommendations for stories and guests. Email Nick Stevens at NickStevensHSsports@gmail.com or follow him on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok.

Subscribe to the Varsity Views Podcast on your favorite podcast platform and the Varsity NC YouTube page.

Some members of the North Carolina state legislature are considering using tax revenue from sports gambling to help fund middle and high school sports coaches, and the data suggest it could have a significant impact in many districts.

Senate Bill 657 would set aside $11 million in sports betting tax revenue for coaches’ pay. It would guarantee that every middle and high school coach at public schools in North Carolina would make a stipend of at least $3,000 per season.

Not every coach would benefit from the current legislation, though.

The proposal does not include giving $3,000 from the state to every single coach in middle and high schools. Instead, the state government would provide the school district the difference between what a coach is paid and the $3,000 minimum threshold in the bill.

There is a catch for districts. The district must continue to fund a coach’s supplement at or above the current level in order to receive state funds.

For example, if a coach earns $2,000 today, the state government would fund an additional $1,000 for that coach, as long as the school district continues to pay the $2,000 supplement in the future. If a school district reduces the amount it pays a coach, it becomes ineligible to receive state funds.

According to data from the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, at least 77 school districts across the state have average coaching stipends that are below the $3,000 threshold. That’s the average in each district, so some coaches make more and some coaches make less than the average.

There is great variance in the average coaching supplement from district to district in North Carolina. The lowest average coaching supplement for an individual school district is under $1,000. Two districts report averages over $10,000.

So, which districts would benefit the most?

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Aiden Smalls wanted to play quarterback in college, and he’s proven himself to be a prolific dual-threat quarterback at Clayton High School.

Smalls, a 6-foot-1 and 175-pound rising senior, passed for 1,948 yards and rushed for 1,006 yards as the Comets’ starting quarterback. He was responsible for 36 touchdowns on offense, including 12 rushing.

He’s a playmaker, and in open space, he’s tough to bring down because of his speed.

Smalls recently flipped his commitment from Rice, which promised him a shot at quarterback, to NC State, which gave no such promise.

In fact, the Wolfpack promised something completely different. And it was a commitment that almost didn’t happen.

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"Don't you want to cover college and professional sports?"

I can't tell you the number of times I've been asked this question in my career. The answer has evolved, though.

When I announced I was leavin…

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This podcast will be an interview podcast. I’ll talk to newsmakers in high school sports, whether that’s athletes who have achieved something notable or committed to a school, coaches who are going above and beyond, administrators working on high school sports policy, or others who are impacting high school athletics.

I’ll also feature discussions with reporters and journalists at media outlets across the state. My goal is to help shine a spotlight on the work being done by members of the media to showcase high school sports. There are fewer and fewer outlets investing in high school sports coverage, so the more attention we can give to the work that does exist, the more likely that investment is to continue.

I also want to include guests who work in fields that are adjacent to high school athletics, or athletics in general, who can provide helpful information for athletes, parents, and coaches.

My goal is to publish this podcast once per week, with sporadic bonus episodes as needed. The podcast is free, and you can subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts or watch it on YouTube. Some bonus content may be for Varsity NC subscribers, though.

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Complete transparency: It may take a few weeks to figure out the best cadence for publishing new shows. Right now, I plan to publish a new show on Wednesdays. That could change, though.

I also want to make this podcast interactive. Tell me what topics you want to hear discussed, suggest interviews, or give me feedback about what you do or don’t like about the podcast. I promise I’ll read every message you send to me.

In the meantime, be sure to follow me on social media:

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• TikTok

• YouTube

This week, 211 student ambassadors from 32 states, Canada and Honduras, along with more than 60 adult advisors, will gather in Indianapolis for the ninth annual National Student Leadership Summit (NS…

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Improving game flow and pace of play are the primary focuses of the 2026 high school girls lacrosse rules changes.

Five rules changes were recommended by the NFHS Gir…

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With 21 state associations now incorporating the javelin into outdoor track and field competition, the NFHS Track and Field Rules Committee voted to move the impleme…

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No player shall be allowed to transmit or record audio or video from the playing surface in high school softball. This new language in Rule 1-8-6 of the NFHS Softb…

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This column was written by Dr. Karissa L. Niehoff, NFHS Chief Executive Officer.

The special place that high school sports and performing arts has in the hearts of millions of Americans was celebrated…

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Among the changes for the 2026 high school boys lacrosse season, no defensive player other than a properly equipped goalkeeper can enter the team’s own crease with the …

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Beginning with the 2027 season, a double first base will be required in high school baseball games to minimize the risk of collisions by runners and fielders.

This ru…

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Physical therapists are now legally permitted to evaluate middle and high school student-athletes for concussions.

Gov. Josh Stein (D-NC) signed House Bill 928 into law on Wednesday, adding licensed p…

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