Clintwood’s Mullins named SWVA coach of the year

Clintwood High School’s Rick Mullins has watched the tape several times. He’s relived the images and pondered the outcome of the Greenwave’s 28-19 loss to Buffalo Gap in the Group A, Division 1 state title game.

"It’s frustrating, how close we were to winning," Mullins said. "We missed some opportunities. I felt like it was two evenly-matched teams. Honestly, I felt like if we played them again we would have a great shot at beating them … We could have brought home a championship trophy instead of a runner-up."

Mullins had to settle for second-place, but he was out in front when it came to another honor. The fifth-year Clintwood head coach was selected as the Bristol Herald Courier’s 2007 Southwest Virginia coach of the year.

Mullins guided his team to a 9-5 finish and a regional title. It was an interesting ride.

After playing a brutal schedule, the Greenwave stood at just 5-4 heading into its regular-season finale with Appalachia and needed a win just to qualify for the playoffs.

"We played, arguably, one of the toughest schedules of anybody," Mullins said. "I think it helped us. We had a little stretch there where I wondered if we had lost our mind for scheduling some of them though."

Clintwood crushed Appalachia in game No. 10 and then dominated the Bulldogs again the following week in the playoffs. Then came a win over longtime nemesis J.I. Burton in the Region D, Division 1 championship game.

The Greenwave had lost to Burton earlier in the season, but Clintwood scored a victory in the rematch.

"That was a big hurdle," Mullins said. "They had our number the last 3-4 years. To get that win was a really big boost for us."

Mullins and his coaching staff made adjustments and some personnel moves throughout the year and tinkered with different lineups. They all worked out – and at the right time.

"We got on a roll at the end of the year," Mullins said. "I felt like we got better as the year went on and we got some people healthy. We were playing our best football at the end of the year."

Clintwood has a good shot at returning to Salem Stadium for the state title game in 2008. The team returns its core and a determined head coach.

"It will be a challenge," Mullins said. "I think our guys, knowing them the way I know them, will come and be hungry next year, as will the coaches."

And perhaps a different trophy will be hoisted on the second weekend of December next year for the team from Dickenson County.