Privott named coach of the Jaguars

Published 11:55 am Wednesday, May 30, 2012

CREEKSVILLE – Jaguar football has its first leader.

Northampton County Schools has named George Privott the first head coach of the Jaguars of the new Northampton County High School. Privott previously served as coach of the Northampton-East Rams.

The job wasn’t just handed to Privott, however, as he interviewed with a district panel just as other applicants for the job before being selected.

“I went in just like I was a new coach coming in and in reality that is almost the case,” Privott said. “With the consolidation of the new schools, we have a new school and that’s how we approached it.”

Privott said the panel questioned him about his offensive and defensive philosophy, his understanding of the two schools that were consolidating and his plan for making them one unit on the football field.

“I was a student in Hertford County Schools when Ahoskie and Murfreesboro consolidated,” said Privott, who graduated from that consolidation – Hertford County High School in 1994. “I had ideas about how it happened there and what I would do the same and what I would do differently.”

Privott said after the process he was thrilled to be selected as coach of the consolidated school and that he was looking forward to working with the student-athletes from throughout Northampton County.

“Basically, being the coach at East, and having been here for six years, I know my kids and I also knew the ones from the western end of the county,” Privott said. “I went to a lot of basketball games and the kids from there I guess assumed I would be the coach and started coming over to talk to me.

“I think I got to know many of them better and I feel good about working with all of them,” he added.

Privott began his duties as the coach of the Jaguars by putting together a spring practice that for the first time involved the students from both East and West.

“We were rivals, but we are going to be one team,” he said. “It was good to see leadership from kids who have been at both schools. They broke the huddle with ‘Jaguars’ and talked about Jaguar Pride.

“It was good to see that while we may have been rivals, we are already all Jaguars,” he said. “My only fear is that some parents from the western end may not want their kids to play because of travel. I want them to know their children are in good hands and that we’re going to take care of them.”

Privott said the distance of travel was an issue and one that he would be cognizant of as he worked through practice this fall.

While still working on his coaching staff, Privott already has one of the former West coaches on board. David Crossen, who served as Defensive Coordinator for the Hurricanes, will serve on Privott’s staff, likely in the same role.

“We are working on the staff and all of that will depend on the staffing of the new school and other considerations,” he said. “I am also hoping to have some younger guys from this area out helping us. We want to get some young blood on the coaching staff as well.”

Privott said he is excited about the team’s first game, which will be a trip to Durham where the Jaguars will square off with Kestral Heights on the football field of North Carolina Central University.

“I think playing on a college field will be a great experience,” Privott said. “I played there in college and I know it will be fun. Overall, we’re just ready to get pads on.”

Privott said he would go into camp with three quarterbacks – a first in his tenure – and that he was excited about the talent level Northampton County High School would have.

He plans to run a multiple offense including the spread, the flexbone and the wishbone.