After 19 games, the Chris Duble era at Northwood is over.
The announcement was made on Monday that the 28-year-old Duble had resigned as the head coach of the Northwood Panthers.
In a statement posted on social media, Duble acknowledged that he has been battling depression since September 2017.
“I need to take some time to get better and put time into prioritizing my family, before I can ever coach again,” Duble said. “I am grateful for the opportunity provided me to lead this group of fine young men. In my heart, no matter where my journey takes me, I will always be a Northwood Panther.”
Duble did not coach on Northwood’s senior night this past Friday against Honaker. Over his two-year span in Saltville, he compiled a 4-14 record.
The lone win in the 2018 campaign came back in a 41-30 victory over Twin Springs. In 2017, Duble’s squad finished 3-7, with the victories coming over Twin Springs, Twin Valley and Holston.
Before his head coaching days, Duble spent time as a player at Centreville High School in Northern Virginia, as well as Ferrum College before becoming a part of Mark Palmer’s staff at Patrick Henry.
Northwood (1-8) has named long time assistant Greg Prater the interim head coach. Prater stepped into the role last week’s bout with Honaker. Prater played quarterback as a senior at Northwood in 1995. He has served on the Panthers’ coaching staff for 10 years.
The Panthers travel to Glade Spring to wrap their season up against the Patrick Henry Rebels (8-1) on Friday.
I am a graduate of Richlands High School—class of 2014. In May 2018, I graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Multimedia Journalism and History with a minor in war and Society from Virginia Tech.
My passions in life are numerous. We don’t have all day. This is not the place to divulge into Hokie Football, so I will shed some light on one of my other favorites.
I was born and raised in the coalfields of southwest Virginia—Richlands to be exact. I remember the first time I ever went to a high school football game (Richlands-Tazewell ’02). Since then, a passion has grown that is stronger than the current in the Clinch River. As a football player in this region, I was able to witness the passion oozing out of the hills firsthand. It was something that when I began college, people had a hard time believing the spectacle that is high school football in the coalfields. Luckily, I was able to go 42-8 in between the white lines on Fridays and Saturdays from 2010-2013. I look forward to having another platform to tell you my stories, your stories and their stories. Here’s to the good times and hoping I don’t leave you like I did Coach Greg Mance numerous times—by saying, “Gosh Durn It!”
Let’s talk, SWVA sports, Hokies, history or maybe even barbecue.
