Grafton High announced its new head football coach for the fall season today.
Matt McLeod, who coached the Deep Run High football program in Glen Allen for the past three seasons, worked with the Clippers for the first time today. He will host a meet and greet with players and parents 6 p.m. Monday.
With his appointment at Grafton, McLeod is taking his love for football a little closer to home.
McLeod, who played and lettered for Clemson University in his college years, moved his family to Williamsburg in 2000 to take on the defensive coordinator position with William and Mary football, leaving the position after six years to spend more time with his family.
But he soon felt nostalgic for the game he loved, and signed on to coach and teach at Deep Run in 2010. He’s been making the hour commute for both football and his job teaching health and physical education at Deep Run since.
“For my family, for my sanity and for the school’s good traditions, I chose Grafton,” McLeod said. “Don’t get me wrong, I had great years at Deep Run. The school is great and we did a lot with that football program. It’s just the commute got to be a lot with a wife and young kids at home.”
McLeod led Deep Run to a 17-13 record over three seasons, and 25 of his players in that three-year run have gone on to play football in college.
He aims to use his own collegiate experience, both as a player and a coach, to help hard-working players for the Clippers gain the opportunity to play in college, as well.
From what he’s seen in his one day as coach, McLeod predicts a great potential for players to have the option of competing at the collegiate level.
“[My first day] was awesome,” he said. “There were quite a few guys there and they worked hard. I’m already proud of them.”
McLeod succeeds Jared Van Acker, who announced his resignation in February after three years with the Clippers. Van Acker, who heads to Freedom High in Loudoun County this fall, led the Clippers to consecutive playoff appearances and an overall record of 21-14. In 2011, Van Acker helped Grafton capture a Region I Division 4 championship and reach the state playoffs for the second time in school history.
