E&H football skipper steps down

Due to health concerns, Curt Newsome, who has served Emory & Henry as head football coach for the past 10 years, announced on Tuesday, July 30 that he is stepping down, effective immediately. Additionally, assistant coach and offensive coordinator, Quintin Hunter, has been appointed interim head coach for the 2024 season.

"It's been a true honor to coach at my alma mater and has been a dream of a lifetime," said Newsome. "This has been a difficult decision, but I have to focus on my health and family at this time. Melinda and I appreciate everyone's support and well wishes as I continue my treatments."

In 10 years as Emory & Henry's head football coach, Newsome compiled a 5342 record with six winning seasons. He was named the Old Dominion Athletic Conference Coach of the Year in 2014 after leading the Wasps to an 8-2 record and took the team to the ODAC Championship game in the spring of 2021.

Additionally, Newsome guided Emory & Henry to back-to-back five-win seasons as the College transitioned from NCAA Division III to Division II and the ever-challenging South Atlantic Conference.

In Newsome's 10 seasons, 94 players received allconference honors. Devontae Jordan won the Lanier Award as the best small college player in Virginia in 2021. Jay Swegheimer was the ODAC Defensive Player of the Year and a SecondTeam All-American in the spring of 2021. Kevin Saxton (2014) and Justin Hill (2022) were selected as their respective conference rookies of the year.

Newsome became the 20th head coach in program history in January of 2014 after spending 15 years at the Division I level. He coached at James Madison University for eight years (1999-05, '13), helping lead the Dukes to the 2004 FCS National Championship. Between his two stints in Harrisonburg, Newsome was an offensive line coach at Virginia Tech for seven seasons (2006-12).

During that time, the Hokies won three Atlantic Coast Conference Championships in four years (2007, 2008, 2010).

Before coaching in college, Newsome was an accomplished high school coach for 16 years. He collected five district coach-of-theyear honors, was the Eastern Region Coach of the Year on three occasions and was selected as the AP and VHSL Virginia State Coach