The athletic director and assistant principal of Pine Forest High School, Lonnie Cox, has shared on his Facebook page that he will be stepping down. HighSchoolOT was not able to contact Cox for additional clarification on this decision.

Cox joined Pine Forest as an employee during the summer months. Prior to this, he held positions as an assistant principal and assistant athletic director at Heide Trask High School from December 2022 until July of this year. He also worked as an intern assistant principal and assistant athletic director at Southern Lee High School from July 2018 until May 2019.

The ex-head coach of Union Pines and Fairmont High School announced on Facebook that he intends to re-enter the world of coaching football.

“Anybody who truly knows me knows that my true love is on the football field,” the public Facebook post read. “And I plan on getting back to doing what I love most and with a group of men who I am lucky enough to call my ‘true brothers’ in the coaching profession.”

Cox, who hails from Fairmont, began his coaching career as a junior varsity assistant at Lumberton High School in 2012. The following year, he served as the varsity offensive line coach for Lumberton.

In 2014, Fairmont High School hired Cox as the varsity offensive line coach and JV head coach under Randy Ragland. The following year, he was elevated to associate head coach and offensive coordinator. The two offenses he oversaw at Fairmont ranked as the top and third highest scoring in the school’s history.

Julius Caulder, a quarterback, had a remarkable performance during his time as a sophomore under Ragland and then as a junior and senior under Cox’s offensive system. Upon graduating, Caulder held impressive records in the NCHSAA including seventh place for total touchdowns (128), passing yards (10,533), and passing attempts (988). He also ranked fifth in total offense in the state’s history with 11,634 yards. Additionally, Caulder placed sixth in completions (633) and eighth in touchdown passes (103).

Jarique Moore and Jordan Waters, both receivers, earned Division I scholarships due to their success in Cox’s offensive strategy. In 2015, Moore amassed 1,621 receiving yards, followed by 1,208 yards in 2016. As a sophomore in Cox’s offense, Waters proudly recorded 1,003 receiving yards. Currently, Waters attends NC State and is anticipated to be a key rusher for the Wolfpack in 2024.

In the span of January 2017 to January 2018, Cox took on the role of varsity running backs coach at Scotland County High School. During this time, he mentored Zamir White, a highly sought-after player who went on to be drafted by the NFL.

In 2018, Cox was hired by Southern Lee to serve as the associate Head Coach, offensive coordinator, co-special teams coordinator, and strength and conditioning coordinator. He fulfilled these duties with the Cavaliers until May 2019, during which time he aided in the team’s participation in their first-ever home playoff game in school history.

Union Pines picked Cox as its head coach in 2019. In his firstseason as the head coach of the Vikings, he led them to eight wins, which tied the 1998 team as the most wins at the school since 1964. He is one of three head coaches in Union Pines history to post a winning record. In his second year at Union Pines, the 2020-2021 spring pandemic season, the Vikings finished 4-3 overall.

After returning home, Cox became the head coach of Fairmont in 2021. He remained in this position for two years and achieved a record of 4-15 during that time. Prior to his arrival, the Golden Tornadoes had only won one game. In his first year as coach, Fairmont had the toughest schedule in the state and in his second year, the team consisted of mostly young players. However, under Cox’s lead, the Golden Tornadoes were able to defeat Lumberton for the first time since 1975.

Cox has attributed his offensive strategy to the influence of Ragland, Wood, Hoggard, Neal, Bailey, and Ches. He has incorporated elements from each of their approaches to create his own unique system. His fundamental belief is to distribute the ball across the entire field, involving as many players as possible.

He received his Bachelor’s and Master’s degree from the University of North Carolina at Pembroke.

Source: highschoolot.com