West Caldwell chooses its new coach.

Everything I've heard about this guy has been good. I wonder how he'll feel knowing he was Burton and Anderson's second choice? I have a feeling that those lovely people in Gamewell will be crying for BIGG before too long, however.

Good Luck new Coach!



West Caldwell names Buffamoyer as new head football coach


By NATHAN KEY, News-Topic Sports Editor, [email protected]
GAMEWELL - West Caldwell will look to the past for the future of its football program.

West has chosen former Warrior assistant coach Mark Buffamoyer to be the school's new head football coach.

Pending approval of the Caldwell County School Board, Buffamoyer will become the school's sixth football coach in its 27-year history, joining David Elder, Mike Biggerstaff, Buz Sims, Paul Hoggard and Craig Styron as men patrolling the sidelines for the Warriors.

"We've been looking for a philosophy about what we want to do, and we feel (Buffamoyer) is the best fit for our program," West Caldwell principal Chris Burton said. "It's about discipline and doing things the right way. That's extremely important. It's not about just X's and O's. It's building rapport with students and parents.

"We're looking for someone to create passion for the sport. We think he can do that. He is to be the leader of our program, and we're here to support him."

Buffamoyer comes back to West Caldwell and the Gamewell community after spending the last eight years in South Carolina. He left West in 1996 to become an assistant coach at Eastside High School and later the head coach of Southside High School for two years.

He was the head coach at Berea High School, his alma mater and a 3-A school in upstate South Carolina, for three years and spent the last season as an assistant at Woodmont High School.

After a little hesitance, the 42-year-old Buffamoyer decided West Caldwell was the place he needed to be.

"The opportunity to be part of the West Caldwell family brought me back," Buffamoyer said. "I like the commitment here and the family atmosphere as well as the association with a first-class program.

"My wife (Dawn) is from Lenoir, and we've been looking for an opportunity to come back and be part of a great community. There's a great school system and great people here. This is the place we want to call home."

Even while he was in South Carolina the last eight years, Buffamoyer stayed in touch with people from the Caldwell County area. About six years ago, his son was injured in an accident, and Buffamoyer said the outpouring of support his family received from folks in this area let him know how special a place he left in 1996.

"We had so many people from Caldwell County pour out to us with visits and calls," he said. "I regretted leaving that kind of community. We feel like this is the place we need to be."

Buffamoyer was an assistant football coach under Sims from 1988-1993 and to Paul Hoggard in 1994 and 1995 when he served as the team's defensive coordinator. West won three conference titles and made three straight playoff appearances from 1988-90.

He also served as the school's head baseball coach from 1994-96. Under Buffamoyer, West won conference titles in 1994 and 1995, making the playoffs each year. The Warriors were 50-24 on the diamond with Buffamoyer calling shots from the dugout.

The ties he has to West Caldwell and the community will be an asset to Buffamoyer, who was highly recommended to Burton and West athletic director Danny Anderson

"He comes very highly recommended," Anderson said. "The character and the passion he has were two of the things we really wanted in our search for a football coach. We were looking for a fit in football, the classroom and the community, and here's a guy who fits every category we have. Everything we're looking for had his name on it.

"He knows this school and this community, and he knows the type of kids we have here. That's just another reason he's such a good fit. He's going to be part of this community, and we think that is important."

Buffamoyer takes over for Styron, who stepped down as the head football coach in early December after six years on the job. Styron's teams went 40-30 in his six years and made the playoffs each of the last three years, winning a share of the Mountain Valley Conference title in 2002.

Buffamoyer inherits a team that has 24 returning players from last season's roster. The Warriors were 3-4 in conference play and went 4-8 overall after going 27-9 the previous three years.

He plans to start working with his new team as soon as possible.

"We're going to hit the ground running," Buffamoyer said. "Our expectations are going to be high every time we hit the field. My expectations are high, just as the people who come to the games expect us to do well.

"We want to grow and take this program to the highest level. Our program needs a fresh look We want to develop a trust and attitude with our kids."

Buffamoyer knows a little bit about trust and attitude, traits he learned as a player at Western Carolina University playing for the late Bob Waters.

A one-time walk-on player out of Berea, Buffamoyer had a stellar college career at Western. He was a two-time All-Southern Conference selection as a defensive tackle in 1983 and 1984, and he was a second-team All-American in 1984.

He played in the 1983 I-AA national championship game against Southern Illinois for Waters. That Western squad finished 11-3-1 and was unbeaten in 12 straight games after an 0-2 start before falling to Southern Illinois 43-7 in the I-AA final.

Western Carolina went 29-18-1 during Buffamoyer's four years at the school.

He has carried a lot of lessons learned from Waters with him during his 17 years of teaching and coaching.

"He gave me my first start, so I have to give credit where credit is due," Buffamoyer said of Waters. "I had an opportunity to play for a great person, and everyday I coach, I talk about him. He provided opportunities for everyone, and I took advantage of the opportunity I had. He made me promise to help somebody along the way. Helping a kid along the way is something I've tried to do."

That attitude is another reason Burton liked Buffamoyer to fill West Caldwell's football position.

"It's about dealing with people and with high school kids," Burton said. "We were looking for a person who wants to be at West Caldwell and become part of the Warrior family. He wants to be here for all the right reasons. He's looking to become part of this community and build a quality program."

Buffamoyer and has wife have two children, Brooke, 18, and John David, 8.

 

Let's see first this guy turned it down. Now he wants it. Add to the fact the last team he was a head coach for went 3-7 this season. Could be more of the same in Gamewell.


GOD BLESS AMERICA AND HER TROOPS