Swain County Schools is pleased to announce that Scott Riley has been named the new Head Football Coach for the Swain County Maroon Devils. Coach Riley comes to Bryson City with a proven history of winning and a deep commitment to student-athlete success, both on the field and in the classroom.
Coach Riley joins the Maroon Devils after a highly successful tenure at Cleveland High School in Clayton, NC, where he served as Head Coach since 2014. During his time there, he led his program to an incredible overall record of 130 wins and only 27 losses. His teams have been dominant, securing 11 conference championships and achieving a 61-game regular-season win streak—the 4th longest in North Carolina history. He also led Cleveland to a 3AA State Runner-Up finish in 2020.
Beyond the scoreboard, Coach Riley is dedicated to developing young men of character. He has coached 42 players who moved on to play college football, including several All-Americans and Shrine Bowl participants. His focus on academics is equally rigorous: 288 of his players earned Academic All-Conference honors during his tenure.
His excellence has been recognized statewide; he served as a 2023 NCCA East/West All-Star Coach and has received multiple "Coach of the Year" awards throughout the eastern part of the state.
“I am blessed and extremely grateful to be entrusted with the care of Swain County football,” said Coach Riley. “I hope to live up to the standards established by the legendary coaches of Swain’s past, and I am excited to get started building a team all of Swain County will be proud of!”
An experienced educator, Coach Riley has taught Social Studies and Weightlifting for over 20 years, specializing in subjects like World History and Civics. He holds a degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Coach Riley and his wife, Jennifer, met while attending UNC and have been married for 18 years. They have a 16-year-old son, Lawrence, who is currently a sophomore. Jennifer is originally from Hayesville, NC, marking a return to Western North Carolina for the family.
Please join us in welcoming Coach Riley and his family to Swain County.