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Athletic Director Bill Navas introduced Stephen Fairchild as the school's new wrestling coach and Eddie Hood as the new boys basketball coach Friday. If character, energy and passion are key components in building winning programs, the Wildcats are on their way!
The 51-year-old Fairchild is no stranger to Duluth High athletes. He has been at the Brock Road school for 14 years and has coached wrestling, cross country, golf and track and field.
Like he said, "I've been here 14 years and hope to be here 14 more. There's purple in my blood."
Fairchild was the head wrestling coach from 1997-2000. "We were pretty good back then and we can be again," he said. It wasn't uncommon for three or four Wildcats wrestlers to qualify for the region tournament.
But in 2000, Fairchild developed Stage 4 cancer. As a college wrestler and one who toured Europe with Athletes in Action, he was used to tough fights but not one that was a matter of life and death.
Just like the other tough battles, Fairchild refused to quit and he conquered the terrible disease. Today he's cancer free and he has something more to teach his young grapplers than the sport of wrestling. Never quit. It's called character.
Hood is just one year short of the big 3-O but he looks more like a college athlete than a coach. Chances are he could go one-on-one with any one of his players and emerge victorious.
He was a standout in track and field at South Gwinnett from 1996-2000 where he won county and region titles in the 800 during his senior year. He attended Campbell University on a full track and field scholarship where he continued to excel, winning All Conference and All Academic honors.
"That experience helped me to understand what young athletes need academically as well as athletically," he said.
Hood gained his coaching experience at Newton, Shiloh and Central Gwinnett.At Newton, he was an assistant coach at a storied program and helped lead his team to the 5A state playoffs three out of four years with one trip to the Final 4. He was also the boys track and field coach and had four athletes who received college scholarships.
But it isn't just Hood's playing and coaching experience that seem to make him a good bet to succeed. His enthusiasm is unbounded and it's contagious. You don't have to be around him long to know just how serious he is about building a winning program.
After being introduced to his new players, Hood took them aside and told them, "I hope you're ready to work hard because I plan to, and if I'm going to work hard, you are too."
Yep. Duluth's wrestling and boys basketball programs are entering a new era. And that's a good thing.
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