AHOSKIE – Saying “it’s time” and expressing gratitude for the opportunity he was afforded for the past five years, Scott Privott resigned Wednesday as head football coach at Hertford County High School.

Privott said he wanted to wait until after Wednesday’s National Signing Day, where he oversaw two of his former players; quarterback Ryan Weaver and defensive end O’Shane Ximines, signing national Letters-of-Intent with Elizabeth City State and Old Dominion, respectively.

“I’ll miss the kids,” Privott said seated in the school cafeteria as his nearby office was getting a face-lift. “I basically did it for the kids, and I’m proud to have had this chance.”

Privott leaves with the distinction of having played and coached at his alma mater. He starred for three years as a defensive tackle under the late legend, Coach Daryl Allen.

A severe knee injury in high school prevented Privott from playing in college at St. Augustine’s College in Raleigh, where he received his degree and then returned home in 1991 to teach.

One year later, Privott joined the coaching ranks, first as assistant junior varsity football coach in 1992. Three years later, then-head coach of the Bears, Carl Brock, promoted him to the varsity, where he coached the defensive line, beginning in ’95.

In 2003, Privott returned to the Bears’ junior varsity as head coach, a position he held until being promoted to varsity assistant in 2005.

Privott took over as Bears head coach in 2009 after serving four years as an assistant.

Hertford County stormed through the regular season during Privott’s initial campaign. That season also featured two of the three biggest wins of Privott’s career. On a short week, the Bears beat Rocky Mount for the first time in school history, 41-21.

“That was the game in which Antonio (Vaughan, now playing at Old Dominion) stopped their final drive,” Privott recalls. “We would recover a fumble and took it in to pad our lead and go on to win by 20.”

Privott’s Bear team went on to win the Northeastern Coastal Conference championship and finish the regular season 11-0. Hertford County won it’s first-round playoff against White Oak of Jacksonville, and then came what Privott calls his second ‘signature win’.

“We beat Western Alamance, also for the first time in school history,” he notes. “That was the game in which Michael Stephenson scored four touchdowns.”

Privott’s ’09 team went on to win 13 in a row before falling in the third round at home to Havelock.

2010 saw more success for Privott’s Hertford County team as they posted an 8-4 record and saw their season end again in the playoffs.

2011 saw the Bears lose six of their first seven games, marking Privott’s first losing campaign as the Bears staggered to a 4-7 mark on the year. Still they managed to make the 3A playoffs, falling to Havelock in the first round.

Losses to Northeastern and Edenton doomed the Bears in 2012 in the conference race. Still they were 8-4 again and won their playoff opener before being edged at home by Washington, 28-21.

This past season, 2013, as Weaver was breaking school passing records, came Privott’s third signature victory: Hertford County stopped Wilson Hunt’s three-year home win streak, 21-15.

“That was the game where we had the game-winning drive with a minute to go to win it on the road,” he said, beaming with pride.

However, the Bears finished the year only a game above .500 at 7-6; and despite upsetting South Granville in the first round of the playoffs, the season ended in a 19-7 loss at Jacksonville Northside.

“It was a great run,” Privott says wistfully. “40-21 in five years and three games I know I’ll always remember.”

Privott says he hopes to spend more time with his family in the coming year. His son, Kevin, is a redshirt freshman receiver at Old Dominion University in Norfolk.

HCHS principal, James Futrell, had words of praise for the coach on word of his departure.

“I enjoyed working with Coach Privott the last five years,” Futrell said. “I appreciate his hard work and the way he touched and enriched the lives of so many student-athletes, and I wish him well in the future.”

“Scott’s the only Hertford County head coach we’ve had since I’ve been superintendent,” said Hertford County’s Dr. Michael Perry. “He was a winner on the field, in his character, and in everything he wanted to do.

“It takes a big person to step down when you’re on top,” Perry added. “He put (Hertford County football) in a very good place and he leaves a big hole to fill.  We wish him well in everything he wants to do in the future.”