Meet new South Brunswick football coach Daniel Yow

South Brunswick High School has its newest head football coach.

The Southport school announced the hiring of former Mooresville defensive coordinator Daniel Yow on May 24, ending a months-long search for the school's third head football coach in the last eight years.

Yow, 39, takes over for Rocky Lewis , who stepped down from his position in February and now serves as the athletic director and football coach at Fike High School in Wilson.

For Yow, finding his spot amongst the Southeastern beaches of North Carolina was an opportunity he and his family couldn't pass up.

"A family goal was to make it to the beach," Yow said. "When the South Brunswick job opened up, it was a lot stuff happening in a positive direction for us."

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What to know about South Brunswick football coach Daniel Yow

Yow was raised in Concord and played collegiate football at Catawba. In his days starting along the Indians' offensive line, he found his love for coaching.

"With coaching, you give your kids the opportunity to experience things they won't experience outside of sports," he said. "I think football is one of the greatest sports out there because it truly is a team effort."

The Catawba alumnus earned his first coaching job in 2009 at Salisbury High School. He then spent three seasons at Hickory Ridge and was hired as South Rowan's head football coach in 2015.

Those early experiences in his career have helped Yow become a more rounded and pragmatic coach.

"I took the job at South Rowan as a 30-year-old head coach, and I had all the answers. I was going to take a program that hadn't had a winning season since 2009 and we were going to compete for a state championship that first year. That's how I thought I had it all figured out. I got there and learned real quick that I didn't have all the answers," Yow said.

Yow stepped down as the Toranadoes football coach in 2021 after going 12-50 in six seasons. He's spent the last two seasons at Mooresville as the team's defensive coordinator.

Yow says he enjoys cooking, particularly smoking meat and barbequing. In his free time, he spends time with his wife and three children.

Success on the field has alluded the Cougars in recent times, as the program has delivered just one winning season in 12 years. Yow understands a turnaround won't come easily, but he's ready for the challenge.

"I truly believe football is more about relationships than records," he said. "Obviously, we want to win every football game we play, but instead of worrying so much about the scoreboard at the end of the night, I'm more or less worried about the kids and being there for them."

This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Meet new South Brunswick football coach Daniel Yow