Published: 11:22 PM, Thu Jul 15, 2010
Sawvel returns as Mallard gives up Clinton football post
By Earl Vaughan Jr.
Scholastic sports editor
CLINTON - Steve Mallard resigned Thursday after five years as Clinton High School's football coach and was replaced by Jeff Sawvel, the school's athletic director.
Sawvel's hiring in an interim role was approved at Thursday's meeting of the Clinton Board of Education, according to Clinton High principal Ron Bean.
"This gives us more time to look,'' Bean said. "Coach Sawvel was gracious enough to say he would be the interim coach.''
Attempts to reach Mallard for comment Thursday were unsuccessful. Bean said Mallard planned to join the staff at Hobbton High as an assistant coach.
Mallard was a former Shrine Bowl player at Clinton for teams with an overall record of 34-3-1.
He coached at West Columbus for one year, joined the Hobbton staff as an assistant, and later was promoted to head coach. He led his teams to a 29-11 record.
In his five seasons at Clinton, Mallard took Clinton to a pair of state 2-A title games. Clinton beat Lincolnton 13-6 for the 2005 title but lost to Burlington Cummings 49-20 a year later.
Sawvel will be taking over the Clinton program for a second time. He replaced Al Britt in 2003. Sawvel, a Davidson College graduate, has been on the Clinton staff as an assistant or head coach since 1989.
He was replaced as head coach in 2004 by Bob Lewis, who stepped down after one year.
Lewis recently resigned as coach at Whiteville High and indicated he would be interested in returning to Clinton if offered the position.
Bean said the school will begin a search for a permanent replacement for Mallard after the conclusion of the 2010 season.
Scholastic sports editor Earl Vaughan Jr. can be reached at vaughane@fayobserver.com or 486-3519.