The opportunity that Doug Campbell had spent years seeking has finally come to fruition.
The 31-year-old was recently appointed as the new boys basketball coach at Castlewood High School.
He takes over for Wayne Rasnick, who left the Blue Devils after two seasons at the helm to take over the Virginia High program.
It marks the first head coaching job for Campbell.
“It feels real good,” Campbell said. “Castlewood has always been known as a good place to coach basketball and has had some good coaches in the past. On down the line, they’ve had some good years. … I’m tickled to death.”
The energetic Campbell certainly paid his dues.
He was a star player for J.I. Burton during the mid-1990s and was one of the Lonesome Pine District’s most prolific scorers over the course of his career.
After graduating from Burton in 1997, he played one season at the University of Virginia’s College at Wise before entering the coaching profession.
He spent nearly a decade on the staff of veteran head coach Stan Wilson at Burton. Coaching at his alma mater was a definite learning experience.
“[Wilson] inspired me to be a head coach,” Campbell said. “He was very instrumental.”
Last season he assisted Rasnick at Castlewood. The Blue Devils won 23 games and reached the semifinals of the VHSL Group A, Division 1 tournament.
“I was fortunate to land there last year with Coach Rasnick and get on his staff,” Campbell said.
The 2010-11 season will offer a fresh start for Castlewood. Not only will Campbell be in his first season as the Blue Devils’ head coach, but the team must replace 10 seniors off last year’s Cumberland
District and Region D championship squad.
“I’m not really going in blind,” Campbell said. “We graduated 10 kids and that’s a heck of a lot of playing time and point production that graduated. The kids we’ve got coming back have worked hard.
“They know the tradition at Castlewood and what is expected of them. We’ve had a good relationship over the last year. I’m looking forward to working with them and hopefully, we get positive results over the long haul.”
thayes@bristolnews.com | Twitter: @Hayes_BHCSports | (276) 645-2570
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