Greg Lloyd's coaching journey has finally come full circle.
Lloyd will return to Cleveland County this fall and will be named head football coach at his alma mater, Crest, on Monday. The leader in all-time wins at nearby Kings His Mountain (133 wins), he returns to the area after his one-year stint at Starmount.
“I just got home and I couldn't be more excited,” Lloyd said. “I am truly grateful for this opportunity.”
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Lloyd to Starmount:Former Kings Mountain football coach Greg Lloyd returns to the sideline as Starmount head man
Lloyd replaces Jim Thorsby, who resigned in early March. Crest went 22-5 in two seasons, including an undefeated 13-1 mark in Big South 3A play. The Chargers won three games in the playoffs, but their pursuit of the NCHSAA 3A state title ended with a 46-34 loss to Dudley.
A 1992 graduate of Crest High School, Lloyd's career on the sidelines began at the school, where he had a long stint as an assistant. During his tenure, the Chargers won his three NCHSAA state titles (1996, 2003-2004), especially the latter of which he made his mark as offensive coordinator.
“I coached here for 10 years in the early days and it was a great experience,” he said. “I played at Crest, I went to high school there, I played for some great coaches, I was an assistant for some great coaches. I felt it was an opportunity.”
Lloyd transferred to East Gaston in 2005 and compiled a 16-9 record in two seasons. He led the program to his best 11 wins in 2006, leading the Warriors to their third and most recent conference title in school history.
He left for Kings Mountain in 2007. Five of his first seven seasons ended in a losing streak, but his teams from 2014 to 2023 won his 80% of games. The Mountaineers have won at least 10 games in five of the past six seasons and were 8-1 in the shortened 2021 spring season.
Lloyd led Kings Mountain to four conference titles and appearances in the 3A West regional finals in 2008, 2015, ’18 and ’19. For his accomplishments, he was named the conference's Coach of the Year four times (Southwestern Foothills in 2008, Big South 3A in 2017, Spring '21 and Spring '22).
His only season at Starmount ended with a 10-2 record, with the Rams losing to Mountain Heritage in the NCHSAA 1A West playoffs. According to the new Crest head man, some lessons learned in his only season at Starmount may come in handy at Boiling Springs.
“I started that summer and it was a great experience,” Lloyd said. “We had to put in a new offense, a new system, and then we got to work with new players. I think that's just going to help me transition here. (At Starmount) I got to put things together. I didn't have a lot of time, but I feel like it made me a better coach.”
