Meet Charlotte’s top high school coaches of the past 25 years
The Charlotte Observer is celebrating the top 10 high school coaches of the past 25 years, from 2000-25.
The list was compiled by a panel of current and former Observer writers in consultation with current and former high school coaches.
Some very tough choices had to be made, but selections to The Observer’s all-star teams over the years outweighed selections by outside entities, especially national ones, since local reporters got a much more personal view of the nominees.
The coaches are not ranked here, but presented in alphabetical order with schools where they coached during the 2000-25 period. Teams listed are those which were coached during the past quarter of a century.
COMING UP: The top 25 boys’ athletes of the past 25 years (Wednesday).
EARLIER: The top 25 girls’ athletes of the past 25 years; a profile of Providence Day’s high school star turned Olympian Anna Cockrell
ALSO: The top 25 boys’ athletes of the past 25 years; a profile of former Davidson Day star and Cowboys’ QB Will Grier.
Meet the best coaches of a generation.
ZOE BELL, VOLLEYBALL, PROVIDENCE/ARDREY KELL
Bell has coached volleyball in Mecklenburg County since 1989. Her record of 809-218 includes eight regional championships, five state championships, plus 19 conference tournament titles and 17 conference regular-season titles.
Bell is a six-time Charlotte Observer coach of the year and was named national high school coach of the year by the American Volleyball Coaches Association in 2018.
Bell is still active.
MIKE BRODOWICZ, FOOTBALL, CHARLOTTE CATHOLIC
In December 2022, Brodowicz resigned after nine years at Catholic as head coach. In 2020, The Observer named Brodowicz as its high school football coach of the decade (2010-19).
In his nine seasons, Brodowicz’s Catholic teams were 110-15 with six state finals appearances and five state championships. Until the fall 2021 season, the Cougars never failed to get past the first round of the playoffs under Brodowicz.
Today, Brodowicz is an assistant principal at Holy Trinity Middle School in Charlotte.
CALVIN DAVIS, TENNIS, CHARLOTTE COUNTRY DAY
Davis, 73, who plans to retire after the coaching the girls’ team next fall, was inducted into the N.C. Tennis Association Hall of Fame in 2023, and the Country Day Hall of Honor in 2024.
His boys’ and girls’ teams have won 38 state championships since he started coaching in 1990. He’s coached more than 100 college players and four tour pros.
Davis is still active.
BRIAN GROSS, GIRLS’ SWIMMING, CHARLOTTE CATHOLIC
In February 2015, Gross led the Charlotte Catholic girls’ swimming team to its 14th straight NCHSAA state championship.
The Cougars won titles in four different classifications in the run, from the smallest, 1A, to what was then the largest, 4A. In 2015, the Cougars beat the field by 44.5 points, led by three-time meet MVP Nora McCullagh, who won two individual events and swam on two winning relay teams. Gross retired after the 2015 season.
Gross now works in banking.
BEN HOVIS, CROSS-COUNTRY/TRACK, PROVIDENCE DAY
Hovis, a 1996 Providence Day grad who ran cross-country and track for the Charlotte 49ers, has won 34 state titles since starting as a head coach in 2002.
That includes 17 with boys’ and girls’ cross-country teams, plus a run of 20 straight boys’ conference titles from 2000-20. In track, Hovis’ boys’ and girls’ teams have won an additional 17 state championships. Hovis was inducted into the N.C. High School Track & Field and Cross Country Hall of Fame last year.
Hovis is still active.
TOM KNOTTS, FOOTBALL, INDEPENDENCE
In January 2024, The Observer named Knotts the greatest Charlotte high school football coach of the past 40 years. Now coaching in South Carolina, where he’s won nine state titles in 15 seasons, Knotts once helped Independence win seven straight rings, from 2000-07, and reach the 2008 state championship game.
His Patriots set a public school national record with 109 straight wins. You can argue that Knotts — who is 484-88-1 before a third round playoff game scheduled for Nov. 21 — is the best high school football coach ever in two states.
Knotts is head coach at Dutch Fork High, near Columbia, S.C.
DUANE LEWIS, BOYS’ BASKETBALL, NORTH MECKLENBURG
Lewis has been at North Meck for 29 years, including 27 as head coach. He is the second winningest public school boys’ coach in Mecklenburg County history with a 565-164 record, trailing only West Charlotte legend Charles McCullough (583-255), who retired in the ‘90s.
The Observer named McCullough the best Charlotte basketball coach of the past 40 years. Lewis has won four state championships, including the past two, in five finals appearances, and his teams have reached 10 N.C. 4A Western Regionals.
Lewis is still active.
BARBARA NELSON, GIRLS’ BASKETBALL, MYERS PARK/PROVIDENCE DAY
In April 2024, The Observer named Nelson the best girls’ basketball coach from Charlotte of the past 40 years. Before she retired in June, Nelson coached for 38 years and won 804 games and nine state titles. Nelson may be the best girls’ coach, in any sport, in Mecklenburg County history.
She won state titles at Providence Day (1986-2007) and Myers Park (2012-25) and she led Wingate to the NCAA Tournament Elite 8. Nelson also won two gold medals coaching USA Basketball youth teams in 2009 and 2010. She was the 36th high school girls’ basketball coach nationally to reach 800 wins.
Nelson is retired from teaching and coaching.
SUZIE PIGNETTI, VOLLEYBALL, CHARLOTTE LATIN
From 1974-97, Pignetti led Charlotte Country Day to six state titles. She coached at Butler before coming to Charlotte Latin in 2001 and building a dynasty.
From 2001-12, Pignetti’s teams won 11 straight conference and nine state titles. In her 35-year career, Pignetti’s record is 745-150. A breast cancer survivor, she also started the long-running “Serve for a Cure” tournament that attracted top teams each fall and helped raise awareness and funds for breast cancer research.
Pignetti is retired.
GREG SIMMONS, BASEBALL, CHARLOTTE CHRISTIAN
In 30 years with the Knights, Simmons’ teams won 733 games and 16 state titles. Charlotte Christian also won 22 CISAA conference titles under Simmons, who coached 95 players who played in college and 10 who became major-league draft picks.
In 2016, Simmons was inducted into the N.C. Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame. Simmons, named a Charlotte Observer coach of the year five times, died in January 2023 at age 57 from cancer.
Steve Lyttle, Jay Edwards and Brett Honeycutt contributed to this report.
This story was originally published November 25, 2025 at 5:30 AM.
