Robbinsville grad named head wrestling coach
Robbinsville – This isn’t Colby White’s first rodeo, but the difference in program reputations is night and day.
After cutting his teeth as the head wrestling coach for Andrews from 2016-20, White jumped at the opportunity to apply for the same position at his alma mater when David Haney announced his intention to step down at the conclusion of the 2023-24 campaign – which brought the famed Robbinsville wrestling team its first state individual tournament team championship.
White found out during the spring that the role was his.
“It’s quite a dream job that I’ve stumbled into,” White said. “I’ve reached out to several people in the coaching community that have had the opportunity to head coach at their alma mater, and the common thread is that it’s ‘quite an honor.’
“The Ville’s wrestling program is one of the crown jewels throughout North Carolina, all thanks in part to the men who have held the title before me.
“As Todd Odom once said, ‘We can see the goals we want to achieve only because we stand on the shoulders of those who have paved the way for us.’”
Since returning to Robbinsville in fall 2020, White has absorbed a wealth of knowledge from his predecessors. Odom stepped down after the 2022 season, and Haney seized the reins for the fourth time in his career to bridge the gap.
Still, the lessons learned in his debut role have left their mark.
“My four years being the head coach at Andrews were invaluable in many regards,” White said. “At times, it was the stereotypical line that many parents use on their teenage children, ‘Go ahead and move out while you think you know everything ...’
“There were countless head coaching lessons that I was able to learn during those first four years. I was fortunate enough to still have a great relationship with the Robbinsville coaching staff as well as surrounded by excellent coaching mentors at AHS. Learning the ropes was incredibly tough at times, but the stories and experiences that I have to draw from have already paid dividends since my return to Robbinsville.”
When donning a Black Knights singlet, championships are not just hoped for, they are expected. The system in place is one every head coach dreams of adopting. White knows he needs to simply lean on the groundwork laid before him.
“The plans are simple: win the conference, win the region, win the state,” White said. “The day that those cease to be the goals is also the day that I type my letter of resignation.
“We are fortunate enough to have a rich history of success that we are now tasked with continuing for the future wrestlers of Robbinsville. The torch must be continually passed.”
The Knights have built a wrestling dynasty since the program’s launch in 1975. Forty-nine years after the fact, Robbinsville’s program is still full-speed ahead: a loaded pipeline of youth grapplers, combined with a varsity team chocked full of title contenders.
The significance is not lost on White.
“I hope the wrestling community comes to expect more of the same out of the wrestling program,” he said. “We have the absolute best community that shows nothing but support and love for our wrestlers; the least that we can do is give our absolute best every single time that we step out onto the mat.
“To do anything less is to sacrifice that gift that we have been given.”