‘I always wanted to make a difference.’ Leesville Road’s Ben Kolstad is NC coach of the week
Leesville Road’s Ben Kolstad, the Deer Park Water N.C. high school football coach of the week, has coaching — literally — in his blood.
In high school in Green Bay, Wisc., he played for his father. He grew up watching his grandfather be the head coach at Division III private college in the state.
“I loved it,” said Kolstad, now 25. “I played for some really good football coaches, and a lot of the guys I played with and for became successful head coaches. I learned a lot of football.”
In 2001, just a year out of college, Kolstad landed in North Carolina after his future wife’s father was relocated to Greensboro. He landed a job at Wake Forest Rolesville MIddle School, and coached whatever he could, hoping to make an impression on all the new people he was meeting. He also volunteered at Cary High School.
The next season, he got an assistant football job at Cary and eventually became head coach, where Kolstad stayed nine years and won a conference title. Then he moved to rival Sanderson High School, in Raleigh, and stayed six seasons.
In 2019, Leesville Road was looking for a head coach and Kolstad was looking for a new challenge. He made a big impression on current Leesville athletic director Russ Frazier, who hired him on June 4, 2019.
“He said he would come in and take care of the kids and take care of the facilities,” Frazier said. “And, you know what? He’s done a great job of doing that. He’s a hard worker. Some people don’t want to get their sleeves dirty and he rolls his up and washes his hands after he finishes the work. It’s just great to have that kind of hard work and dedication here.”
In his first season, Leesville Road went 13-0 and won a regional championship before losing 24-3 to Charlotte’s Julius Chambers High School in the state championship game.
The Pride have remained a consistent winner since then, going 24-8 over the past three seasons.
This year, Leesville is 2-0 after Friday’s 49-14 win over Panther Creek. The Pride is averaging more than 45 points per game and will play at Overhills (0-2) Friday.
Kolstad thinks this team could do what his 2019 team did.
“We’ve got a good group of kids,” he said “We’ve got 31 seniors who have worked really hard and haven’t lost a whole lot of games over the last years. We’ve got a really good staff, top notch. It’s good to have talent but you’ve got to great coaches to develop it. We’re young in some areas, and lack experience, but have some real skill in those areas. So they’ll make a mistake here and there, but we’ve gotten away with it.
“And we’ve played some good teams. Wakefield has a new coach and Panther Creek is really skilled on the perimeter. We scrimmaged (N.C. 4A No. 1 ranked Greensboro) Grimsley and hung in there. We gave up some big plays, but I think we have a chance (to make a state title run). I definitely do think we’re on the brink of being really, really good.”
Kolstad thinks, like his team, he’s beginning to hit his coaching stride, like his father and grandfather once did.
“Just growing up, seeing all the kids coming back to see my dad,” he said, “that’s what I always wanted to do: to make a difference in kids’ lives. I think I’m getting better at that. I think I am a player’s coach. I’ve got kids growing up. Two boys, 10 and 12, and that’s changing me a little bit, and helping me with how the times are changing.”
▪ NOTE: If you want to nominate a N.C. high school football coach for the weekly award, email prepstats@charlotteobserver.com and tell us why.
Previous 2023 Winners
Week 1: Kennedy Tinsley, Mallard Creek
