Timmons resigns as Randleman's coach

RANDLEMAN — When many head coaches leave their position, they often say it’s for family reasons. They need to spend more time at home. More often than not, that is used instead of the actual reason, which encompasses many different scenarios.

For Randleman High School football coach Shane Timmons, needing to spend more time at home with his family IS the reason he has resigned his head coaching position. And there isn’t anyone who knows the situation the Timmons family is currently in that will dispute that.

Timmons recently turned in his resignation in order to help care for his young daughter, who battled brain cancer. 

“Sometimes you don't have a choice, I just want it to be real clear,” Timmons said. “I’m not leaving for any other reason but my family. I think everyone around me knows that.”

Even though the Tigers enjoyed another solid season on the field, finishing 9-3 and advancing to the second round of the state 2-A playoffs, it definitely took a toll on Timmons.

“At one point, we were 8-0 and doing great and the hardest thing I ever had to do in my life was to keep it going,” he said. “I needed more time at home. I needed to break away and I have to be able to break away when I need to.

“It was difficult to put in all the time this program deserves while I was distracted. I have to do this for my girls. This illusion of choice, there is no choice. I have to do it.”

After his daughter Ophie, who will turn 3 later this month, was diagnosed in August of 2023, Timmons spent most of last year’s season away from the team and actually moved to Tennessee while his daughter was being treated. When Timmons left the sidelines, longtime friend and coach Brian Hughes took over as interim head coach. He remained in that capacity until the end of the season. 

After Ophie underwent numerous surgeries and procedures, Timmons, his wife Ashley and daughters Georgia and Ophie returned to the Randleman area.

Timmons said with his family's blessing, he returned to the RHS football program in January. But there was a relapse in May, when Ophie developed necrosis, the medical term for the death of body tissue, which was caused by the radiation treatments Ophie undertook.

“May was really bad, she couldn’t lift her arms,” Timmons said. “We got through it, she made a little bit of a rebound, but she’s not back where she was in late winter last year. We took her to the zoo and she was walking all over the place. Now she needs assistance. A lot of people think she got better, got cured. It never got any easier.”

Except for one year when he was the offensive line coach and assistant athletic director at Oak Grove, Timmons has been at RHS since 2008. He has been an assistant football coach, head basketball coach, swimming coach and for the last five seasons the head football coach.

Timmons graduated from Catawba College in 2008 where he was a two-time All-South Atlantic Conference tight end. He helped the team to conference titles in 2004 and 2007. In 2017, Timmons received a master's degree from Western Carolina University.

Timmons, now a Physical Education teacher, said he is unsure what the future holds.

“If I had it my way, I’d be a Tiger until I retired,” Timmons said. “You know how it works. I don’t know where I’m going to land. 

“I’ve done every job here at Randleman: Teacher, coach, AP (assistant principal), custodian, substitute teacher. My heart is here. I love this place. It’s a special place. There is no place like Randleman High School.”