Publication: THE CHARLESTON GAZETTE
Published: 06/27/2007
Page: 4B

Byline: TOMMY R. ATKINSON

tatkinson@wvgazette.com

Nitro football coach Scott Tinsley is facing a tough decision in the next couple of weeks.


Tinsley has been weighing offers from Waccamaw High School in Pawleys Island, S.C., to become the school's offensive coordinator. Former Nitro coach Robert "Little" Burdette is the offensive line coach at Waccamaw. Tinsley served on Burdette's staff during the Wildcats' 1998 state championship season.


"I'm just not sure what I'm going to do about football season," said Tinsley, who led Nitro to the Class AAA state championship game two years ago. "I just haven't made my mind up yet what's best for the future. I'm hoping to make it by the first of July.


"It almost switches day-to-day. Now it seems like we're closer to staying. It bounces back and forth day to day. It's getting time that I have to start thinking a little bit about the future and getting back into the college game and getting a paycheck. It would be a little easier to get to the college level if I could get down to South Carolina and had some success."


Tinsley said he had a positive meeting Tuesday with members of the Nitro community.


"The Nitro community has really stepped up," he said. "They're really making it difficult for me to leave. They're just being really generous in showing their support for us."


Waccamaw was one of the destinations for Nitro quarterback Michael Scott, father and Nitro assistant coach Mike Scott and Tinsley if the quarterback wasn't granted another year of eligibility from the SSAC, which he was. Since then, Waccamaw has made several overtures to Tinsley.


"They were going to be able to pay us about twice as much as we get for coaching here, plus somebody has a free place for us to stay," Tinsley said. "I'm able to substitute teach down there and I'm not able to substitute teach here. That's quite a bit of difference from what I'm making here."


Tinsley said if he did leave, he was willing to come back and coach girls basketball and softball the next two seasons at Nitro.