Athletic Director Hayes leaves UCA to help coach football at Thomasville High School

ASHEBORO — Each person has a calling.

It could be in the medical field, the business world or government. It could be in law enforcement, technology or health care.

For David Hayes, it’s coaching football and teaching student-athletes and those are the main reasons he has left his position as District Athletic Director for the Uwharrie Charter Academy schools to take an assistant football coaching position at Thomasville High School. He will also be teaching Physical Education at THS.

Hayes spent the past two seasons as the school system’s athletic director and was the head coach for the very first UCA middle school football team last fall.

“It’s kind of like one season or even two seasons, the AD thing is a lot of seasons in a row,” Hayes said. “This will allow me to focus on one thing or maybe just a couple of things.

“The AD job wasn’t too much, it was doable,” Hayes added. “But the thing is I think I am better suited to do other stuff. If you coach and enjoy coaching and then move to an administrative role, it can take away from what you think your strengths are. It’s not that it’s bad or good.”

This will be the second stint at THS for Hayes, who went to THS after coaching girls basketball at Asheboro High School. Hayes spent the 2019-2022 seasons at THS as head track coach and assistant football coach for Kevin Gillespie.

The Bulldogs, who have a first year head coach in Garrett Mills, finished 6-6 last season, advancing to the second round of the state 3-A tournament.

Thomasville has a storied history in high school football, winning titles in 1964, 1988, 1991, 1995, 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2008. The Bulldogs are now a member of the Central Carolina Conference, which also includes Providence Grove, Wheatmore, Trinity, East Davidson and West Davidson.

Hayes said Thomasville is still a special place to him and being asked to come back was an honor.

Hayes said the two years he spent at UCA will definitely help him as he transitions back to being a teacher and coach.

“It was awesome being an athletic director, it was something I was interested in doing,” Hayes said. “I’m definitely better for it. There are so many things people don’t realize ADs do. (Uwharrie Charter Academy) is a good place with a lot of good people. Our coaches are phenomenal. The level of success in several different things, it was cool to just walk into it. It had nothing to do with me. It will make me a better coach.”