Courtesy of Troy White

Courtesy of Troy White

<p>Courtesy of Troy White</p>

Courtesy of Troy White

<p>Courtesy of Troy White</p>

Courtesy of Troy White

<p>Courtesy of Troy White</p>

Courtesy of Troy White

NEWBERRY — It is no secret to anyone in Newberry County on how successful the Newberry Middle School football program has been over the past four years. They are coming off of back-to-back undefeated seasons and captured three division titles over a four-year span as well. Now, they are looking to keep the success going under head coach Troy White.

White is entering his second year as head coach but has been on the staff for the last seven years. He started his coaching career nearly three decades ago at Eau Claire High School in Columbia as an assistant on their football staff. Then, he walked away to tackle the corporate world, but after spending 15 years in corporate America, he knew his heart was always in coaching.

The now married family man, sat down with his wife and told her that he needed a change.

“I wasn’t happy in the corporate world and I knew I always wanted to get back into coaching. The first time I coached at Eau Claire I wasn’t married, so I knew it would be different. I told my wife that I wanted to finish my degree and began teaching and coaching again. She was very supportive but it was something new for her as well to be a coach’s wife. Thank god everything worked out for us,” White said.

White is now entering his eighth year as a teacher and seventh year as a coach for Newberry Middle School. Despite White’s success, his impact has reached far beyond the classroom and football field. The main reason he has been so successful as a coach because he took the time to understand and relate to his athletes.

“I treat them like young men. I understand some of them may be going through things at home that they don’t always want to talk about it. I can relate because I had some of those same struggles growing up,” said White. “I always try to be there for these kids and have an open line of communication. I let them know that they can call me for anything, even after they leave my program and go on to high school.”

His childhood wasn’t easy and he understands that some of the kids that come into his middle school program face the same challenges. White bounced back-and-forth between living with his grandparents and biological parents. Eventually, his grandparents gained sole custody and finished raising him.

“My grandparents meant everything to me. At one point I started calling them mom and dad because they raised me and that’s how much respect I had for them,” White explained.

Now, White is raising his own children and have stepped up to be a father figure in the lives of so many other kids. He can’t do it all by himself though. Kathy White, his wife, is also a pivotal part of the Tigers’ success as well. She has the unofficial title of head of the video production and of course, team mom.

As for football, White knows that he must run a tight ship to be one of the best middle school programs in the state. His rules are simple; work hard and have respect for each other. He doesn’t allow his assistant coaches to use bad language around his players and makes sure his athletes are prepared for the next level. White speaks to them about nutrition, hold camps with local high school coaches for his eighth graders, and implemented some of the defensive schemes being used at the high school level into his program.

White and Zeb Reid, principal, also advocated for the school to receive an upgrade for their weight room. All in all, White wants to remembered as a coach who cared for his players more than winning football games. It still doesn’t change the fact that he is chasing history as the Tigers look to capture their third straight undefeated season and another division title.

Reach Greg Hollis @ 803-768-3117 or on Twitter @TheNBOnews