Middle Creek hires Randy Ragland as head football coach

Randy Ragland decided it was time to move back home.

The Holly Springs native who spent the past five years as head coach at West Johnston and Fairmont high schools was named Middle Creek’s head football coach on Friday. Ragland was an assistant at Middle Creek for five seasons.

“It’s an exciting opportunity for me and my family to head back home,” Ragland said.

Ragland has strong ties to the area. His photo is still hangs in Fuquay-Varina High’s hallway honoring his days as the quarterback who led the Bengals to the 1985 state championship game.

He enjoyed the small-town life in Fairmont but said he wanted to move home to be with his mother who is suffering from Alzheimer’s.

“I’ve been trying to go back home for a little while, since she’s been diagnosed,” Ragland said. “Middle Creek came up as of late. It was a great opportunity for me. I started my teaching career at Middle Creek High School, and it’s been a special place for me and my family. My kids grew up running the halls and playing on the practice fields there.”

Ragland helped change Middle Creek into a pass-oriented spread offense that the program still runs today. He had great success at Fairmont, a 2A school south of Lumberton. His two quarterbacks threw for almost 7,400 yards and 92 touchdowns.

“We’re still airing it out,” Ragland said. “We had some really good athletes down here.”

Ragland was 8-4 and 6-6 at Fairmont in his two seasons and 14-18 overall in three seasons at West Johnston. Middle Creek went 9-3 last season and was 32-8 in three seasons under Mike Castellano, who resigned before accepting the head job at Richmond County.

This story was originally published June 12, 2015 at 3:58 PM with the headline "Middle Creek hires Randy Ragland as head football coach."