They Still Call Me “Coach” Joe Pinyan
men and a quality staff of assistant coaches at Salisbury High School put together a 10 game pressure packed winning streak after starting out with 3 wins and 3 losses. What a ride! ” NCC: WHAT PART OF COACHING WAS THE MOST REWARDING FOR YOU?
NCC: WHAT SPORTS DID YOU COACH? “ Football (High School 16 yrs as a Head Coach, 16 yrs as an Assistant Coach, 2 yrs as a Head Middle School Coach), Wrestling (17 yrs), Baseball (8 yrs), Golf (1 yr) Also served 8 yrs as an Athletic Director at the High School Level and six months as the Interim County Athletic Director after retirement. ” NCC: WHERE DID YOU COACH? “ S tarted my career at East Rowan High School, went to Mooresville Middle School, then to Mooresville High School. From there I went to Salisbury High School and finished at Jesse Carson High School. ” NCC: HOW MANY YEARS DID YOU COACH? “ 34 years. ” NCC: ARE YOU STILL INVOLVED IN COACHING AND/OR ATHLETICS? “ Yes. I am currently serving my seventh year as a Part Time Assistant Football Coach at Catawba College Also stay involved in Wrestling and Baseball by officiating both sports (Wrestling 25+ years and Baseball 30+ years). ” NCC: WHAT WAS YOUR MOST MEMORABLE COACHING EXPERIENCE? “ I was truly blessed as a Football Coach to win a State Championship at Salisbury High School (2010), and coach in both the East West All Star Game (2011) and the NC/SC Shrine Bowl Game (2007). Those three events pretty much stand above a lot of other great memories that have taken place in my career. I really enjoyed the East-West game and the Shrine Bowl because of all the friendships (coaches, players, staff of each organization) that were developed during those weeks. But to watch a group of young
“ I think any time you witness people buying in to where the program is going, the rewards are great for everyone. Players and coaches all straining to achieve the same goal and sometimes in difficult times. You get to enjoy seeing what these people are truly made of and how much they value the culture of the program itself. Then it goes even further. Those players take those same values and apply them in their lives as they become adults. Those coaches take the next step and become Head Coaches or Coordinators and apply what they bought into in their programs. So, I guess, the answer of being rewarded lies in watching the lives of others, that you have an impact on, as they move forward in their lives helping others. ” NCC: WHY DID YOU GO INTO COACHING? “ I think we all have those dreams that we will develop unbeatable, dominant programs and success will follow us to that infamous pot of gold! I’m not sure there was any significant reason for being a coach other than a love for the game. But as my career progressed, I
See “Pinyan” on page 17
NC Coach • Spring 2026 • Page 15 • nccoach.org
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