HAMPTON, Va. — There's that rule of thumb in coaching that says never follow a legend. There might be an exception to the rule when it concerns Woodrow Wilson at Hampton High School.
Wilson takes over for the great Mike Smith who retired last season as Crabbers head football coach after 50 years. Smith's legendary career includes 506 wins to go with 12 state titles. Wilson was on the first Crabbers championship team in the mid-1970s.
He has a firm grasp of what he's getting into having been a former assistant as well with the team in the late 1980s. A former running back, he doesn't feel the pressure of Smith's legacy.
"No, it's all about teaching", he said. "It's all about discipline and like I said those things I learned from Coach Smith and also paying attention to detail."
Senior running back, Raykwon Smith, who's played for both knows what's expected. "We're looking good right now", he says. "It's tradition. It's winning. It's competing and being at our best."
Wilson's coaching philosophy is pretty simple. "Hard work pays off. If you're willing to put in the work, good things usually happen. If you don't work, the outcome is going to be a little different." Sounds like he had great teacher.