From Raleigh-area to App State to Charlotte, Rocky River High names new football coach
A former Appalachian State starting defensive lineman is the new head football coach at Rocky River High School.
Tyson Fernandez, 28, will replace Orlando Gray, who is moving into the school’s vacant athletic director’s role. As AD, Gray will replace Steve Robinson, who is now working with Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools’ system AD Ericia Turner in the central office.
“I have been coaching ball for 25 years, and it was time for me to move into a more administrative role and have my hands on all of Rocky River sports,” Gray said, “and then I want to try to get our coaching staff together and moving in unison. And now is a good time to do it, because I think Tyson is going to be a great head football coach for our program.”
Gray took his first head coaching job at Rocky River in 2017 and he was the second coach in school history. Rocky River, located in Mint Hill, opened in 2010.
Rocky River had three straight winning seasons under Jason Fowler from 2012-14, but hasn’t had one since. The Ravens were 3-7 last season.
Fernandez earned all-conference honors as an offensive and defensive linemen at Fuquay-Varina High School near Raleigh, and he later became a starter in college at Appalachian State, where he played four years and earned a degree in criminal justice. While in college, Fernandez met his wife, Gabrielle, a former all-state tennis player at Providence Day who also played at Appalachian State.
After college, the couple moved to Charleston, where Gabrielle was in law school and Fernandez worked as a teacher and coach at a local high school, Philip Simmons.
Two years ago, the couple decided to relocate to Charlotte once Gabrielle finished school, and Fernandez was hired at Rocky River, where he’s been a defensive line coach for Gray’s football team as well as the school’s head wrestling and head baseball coach.
Now, Fernandez said he’ll focus solely on football.
“My plan is to bring the same attitude that Coach Gray has instilled in them, that relentless fight,” Fernandez said, “but to bring in that new age of young coaches, where we have a lot more energy, in a sense, and bring a lot of fun to it. And being that I had a lot of success at Fuquay-Varina and at App State, I want to bring that to Rocky River and continue on what coach (Gray) has done. He’s done a phenomenal job coaching and molding young men.”
Palisades adds new boys basketball coach
Charlotte-Mecklenburg’s newest high school, Palisades High, has named its first boys basketball coach.
LaTroy Brace, a Lancaster native, comes from Marlboro (S.C.) County High where he led the team to two conference titles in four years. He was a two-time conference coach of the year, and he was named S.C. state boys basketball coach of the year in 2021 after leading his team to the S.C. 3A state title. It was Marlboro County’s first state championship in 23 years.
Brace, a native of Lancaster, S.C., was an assistant on Olympic’s boys basketball staff last season.
This story was originally published July 26, 2022 at 6:14 PM.
