Fredrick Hurt, saying he thinks that the program needs a change of direction, has resigned as the boys basketball coach at North Davidson after 10 seasons.
Hurt said that the frustration of taking North to the playoffs only twice in 10 years, combined with several other factors, led to his decision to turn in his resignation Tuesday.
"It was a frustrating year, and the bottom line is, I have been there 10 years, and I feel like I haven't accomplished what I wanted to accomplish," Hurt said. "We have been to the playoffs twice in 10 years, and that's not acceptable to me. Somebody else needs to give it a try."
North struggled in its first season under Hurt, but he righted the ship and led the Knights to eight straight winning seasons in the difficult Central Piedmont 4-A. During that time, Reynolds won three straight Class 4-A state titles, and Mount Tabor and West Forsyth also had playoff runs.
North's streak of winning seasons ended this year with an 8-17 finish.
Hurt said that some recent off-court issues with his players -- which he declined to go into detail about -- also helped cement his departure.
"These other issues were the icing on the cake," he said. "I am just not proud of the direction we are moving. It was me not being able to accomplish what I wanted to. I just feel commitment has been an issue. We don't have as many kids that are committed right now. We had an open gym (Monday), and I had more former players there than current players.
"I don't know the right way to say it, but I think they need to give someone else a try. Every coach is proud, and it's hard not to get it done, and that's not a slap against the kids, it's a slap against me."
Hurt, 39, said he does not have another coaching job lined up but said he has turned down offers in the past. He said he is definitely leaving North at the end of the school year.
Hurt said that his girlfriend lives in Atlanta and that he would look for jobs from North Carolina to Georgia.
"I have toyed with going to the college ranks in the past and never done it, and I have toyed with moving out of the area completely," said Hurt, who graduated from West Davidson in the late 1980s. "I will see where this takes me without any barriers right now.
"The CPC is a heck of a league, and that was always part of the challenge, and I accepted the fact that we were underdogs and used that as our thing. But after awhile, you are scratching your head. North Davidson has a great community, and the people have treated me great. At some point I just had to decide we couldn't get over the hump."
Athletics Director Tanya Burcham could not be reached for comment yesterday.
■ Mason Linker can be reached at 727-7324 or at mlinker@wsjournal.com.
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