Warhorses look west to fill head coaching vacancy

Owen introduces former Pisgah offensive coordinator to lead football program

Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
April 26, 2022

Owen High School’s new head football coach, Zach Gibson, introduces himself to the Warhorse players in the schools gym on April 26. Photo by Fred McCormick

Throughout his careers as a player and coach in Western North Carolina, Zach Gibson has been familiar with at least one aspect of Warhorse football. 

“Everybody knows when you see that horseshoe coming, you’re in for a long night,” said the former Enka and Mars Hill University player, who has held multiple offensive coordinator positions throughout WNC during his eight years as a coach. “This is a place that has so much tradition behind it, and in my career, when you go up against Owen football, you know what’s in store.”

As the new Warhorse head coach met his team, April 26, Gibson was ready to learn a lot more. 

Less than three weeks after one-year head coach Brint Russell announced he was stepping down and moving out of the state, Owen Athletic Director Brook King introduced the players to the program’s new leader. 

“Coach Gibson is as good as they come,” King said. “He’s coached for eight years, he played at Mars Hill College and he’s from the mountains. He’s sat right where you’re sitting, and he’s worked with some of the best men and best coaches in this entire state.”

Gibson began his coaching career at Enka before a two-year stint on the staff of former Asheville High School head coach and current Tuscola assistant, David Burdette. He continued to find success calling plays at Pisgah, where he helped guide the Bears to a combined 35-9 record and two conference championships after joining head coach Brett Cappell’s staff in 2018. 

The young coach quickly emerged as the top candidate with the eight members of the committee assembled by the school to fill the vacant position, according to Owen principal, Meg Turner. 

Owen Athletic Director Brook King, left, greets Zach Gibson, who was introduced as the new head coach of the Warhorses, April 26. Photo by Fred McCormick

“Normally when we do this type of process, it takes a couple of rounds where we bring finalists back and it usually takes several weeks,” Turner said. “But when we finished his interview last Friday, the committee immediately said, ‘that’s our man.’”

Although he had no particular destination in mind, leading a high school program has long been a personal goal for Gibson, who told his team he was excited to have that opportunity with the Warhorses. 

“There are a few places in WNC that are extremely special and have deep traditions as places that have set themselves apart,” he said. “Owen is one of those places.”

Gibson will be the third head coach to lead the Warhorses in the last three seasons, following Nathan Padgett’s departure after the 2020 campaign and Russell’s resignation earlier this month. He is the first Owen football head coach to have not played for the school in nearly 40 years, but he intends to restore the program’s trademark toughness. 

“You have to be physical when playing this game, especially here in the mountains,” Gibson said. “You have to be able to run the ball, play good defense and be sound on special teams. We’ll make sure we have that foundation under us before we look ahead at establishing who we’re going to be.”

Players will be required to uphold four core values: character, integrity, relentlessness and discipline. 

“You can’t win this game without being physical, and that's what we’re going to do,” Gibson told his players before individually meeting with each of them. “We’re going to make sure nobody is more prepared than us, outworks us or hits harder than us. They’re going to know, just like I did back in the day, when they see that horseshoe, we’re coming.”