GETTING BACK TO HIS ROOTS: Skipper returns home to lead Red Level football
Published 12:05 am Thursday, May 4, 2017
- Kenny Skipper returns to alma mater as the new head coach for the Red Level football team. Courtesy Photo
Red Level High School is looking for a bright future when the tapped Kenny Skipper to be the next head football coach for the Tigers.
“This is just a great opportunity,” Skipper said. “My wife and I are both excited about having the chance to come back home and hopefully do some good there. The first thing I want to do is to provide stability because I plan on being there for awhile.”
Skipper is a 2001 graduate of Red Level, where he lettered four years on the Tigers football program.
Skipper has spent the past five years coaching and teaching at Straughn High School.
As well as being an assistant for the Straughn football team, Skipper was the head softball coach for five season. He led the Lady Tigers to four-straight South Regional appearances.
“I’ve had a lot of good years coaching football and softball at Straughn,” Skipper said. “My wife and I made a lot great relationships with the people here, but this was just an opportunity that we felt we couldn’t pass up.”
Skipper replaces James Wise who resigned after two seasons at Red Level.
The Tigers haven’t been to the playoffs or won more than five games since 2010.
“Red Level has a lot of tradition and what to get it back to that point,” Skipper said. “My granddad played on the 57’ state championship team and my brother was the team that went to the semi-finals. There is a lot of tradition and we need to get that back. We want the community to be involved with and supportive of the football program. That’s a big part of successful program, and we want to get the back at Red Level.”
Skipper said he will begin to hit the ground running once softball season is finished.
“I’m ready to get started,” Skipper said. “I won’t start until after softball season is over, and hopefully that doesn’t end for another two weeks after the state tournament.”
Along with coaching, Skipper will also be a general social science teacher at Red Level.