NORFOLK, Va. – Former Hertford County High School football coach Dealton Cotton has been named to head the football program at Maury High School here.

Maury Principal Michael J. Caprio announced the move this week, just a few weeks after Cotton left HCHS to take a counselor position at the school.

&uot;Cotton’s experience working with youth, coupled with his knowledge of sports and coaching, makes him an asset to the program at Maury,&uot; Caprio said. &uot;He has a solid background in helping students to be the best that they can, both on and off the playing fields.

&uot;With regards to Maury’s athletic programs, I continually emphasize to staff, students and parents that our student-athletes are students first and athletes second,&uot; the principal added. &uot;Coach Cotton supports this philosophy and is looking forward to a most successful football season.&uot;

Cotton, a native of Norfolk, came to Hertford County High School three years ago. He served two seasons as Defensive Coordinator under now retired Bears’ skipper Daryl Allen before being selected to serve as head football coach last year.

His HCHS team went 9-3 and captured a share of the Northeastern-Coastal Conference crown and was seeded number one in the 3-A ranks for the state playoffs.

He said upon leaving the Bears that it was his desire to be closer to home. Reached by phone Tuesday, he said that he was glad to be closer to family.

&uot;It’s definitely nice to be home,&uot; he said. &uot;This was always one of the biggest things for me. There’s nothing like home.

&uot;I feel honored to get back home and coach at a school like Maury which is known as a great high school in general,&uot; he added. &uot;It is good to be home and close to family.&uot;

As far as the Maury football job, Cotton said the school was in a very competitive conference and that he was ready to get to work.

&uot;It’s going to be a tall task because it’s a very competitive conference,&uot; he said. &uot;It’s going to take a lot of work.

&uot;We have some talented kids,&uot; he added. &uot;It’s just a matter of getting a coaching staff together and getting to work. We will have to come to play every week.&uot;

Cotton, a product of the Norfolk Public Schools, received his undergraduate and graduate degrees from East Carolina University in Greenville.

In addition to serving as head football coach at HCHS, he served as head track coach. He is currently an assistant track coach at Maury.