Clayton’s Randy Pinkowski is retiring as football coach; South Granville brings back Mike Hobgood

Clayton’s Randy Pinkowski is retiring, he announced Friday afternoon, ending a streak of long football coaching tenures at the school.

Pinkowski was only the third Comets coach in school history, following a 28-year run by Gary Fowler and 24 years by Glenn Nixon. Pinkowski went 7-5, 6-6 and 3-8 in his three years at Clayton, with the first two ending in the first round of the 4A playoffs.

Pinkowski, a former assistant coach under Fowler, was the head coach at Pikeville’s C.B. Aycock from 1999-2012, which includes a 10-3 season in 2009 that ended in the second round of the playoffs. His career record is 90-107.

Pinkowski’s depature leaves the greater Triangle with four football openings including: Chatham Central, Carrboro and Franklinton.

Other football coaching news

South Granville athletics director Don Colgan has stepped aside as football coach on Feb. 1 and hired Mike Hobgood, who will be in his second go-round as Vikings head coach. South Granville was 11-13 in Colgan’s two seasons.

Hobgood was the Vikings’ head coach for nine years and was 62-38 before leaving for one season at Leesville Road. He was fired after a 5-7 season in 2014 and returned to South Granville last season as Colgan’s defensive coordinator.

Hobgood’s hiring makes seven positions that have been filled. Southeast Raleigh, Broughton, Jordan, Hillside and Athens Drive have also had football coaching changes this offseason.

This story was originally published April 15, 2016 at 1:35 PM with the headline "Clayton’s Randy Pinkowski is retiring as football coach; South Granville brings back Mike Hobgood."