ROCKINGHAM — An office on the south end of Richmond Senior High School has sat quiet and mostly empty since the holiday break.
Aside from a desk, some old team photos and a few boxes of football gear scattered on the floor, nothing much stands out except for a sticker on the office door.
Almost singular with the kelly green door after years of players knocking and shoulder pads bumping it, the words “Tradition of Excellence” burn as a beacon of the storied history of the Richmond Raider football program.
At the desk, Brad Denson sits with an almost tangible sense of pride. A true Richmond Raider at heart, he understands the meaning of what those three words mean to so many.
Just a few weeks before on Jan. 16, he was named as the 12th head coach in the Raiders’ 52-season history.
The dawning of a new era got underway when former head coach Bryan Till announced his resignation on Dec. 19. After seven seasons at Richmond, Till left to take the same position at Union Pines High School.
That opened the door for Denson, one of the school’s most recognized student-athletes, to secure his first head coaching role.
It also marked the first time that a RSHS alumni was tabbed to lead the Raiders. Denson graduated from Richmond in 1999.
“The pride I’ve got for this place, my love and passion for this school, this program and this community is unmatched,” Denson said. “I needed to do some things differently in my life so I left football, but I always knew what my love was and that I wanted to come back.
“I’m anxious to get in here every day and start tackling things. There is an excitement about it, but there’s a ton of work that comes with this.”
The History
A native of Richmond County, Denson has been around Raider football since he was a kid over three decades ago.
Spending a lot of time in the shadow of his father, Dale Denson, Brad grew up enveloped in the school’s green and gold and the insatiability of pursuing Raider Magic.
Dale, a career educator, spent 1994-2005 as an assistant football coach with the Raiders after making his name as a head coach at Rohanen and Hamlet junior high schools.
Brad progressed in the sport and was the starting quarterback of the Rockingham Junior High School, Richmond junior varsity and varsity teams, losing just one game the entire time.
Taking over under center for the Raiders’ 1997 and 1998 seasons, Denson captained Richmond to consecutive perfect seasons and back-to-back 4A state titles. He finished his varsity career 32-0 (including the playoffs) and helped earn Richmond’s fifth and sixth championship banners.
“This is definitely a full circle journey,” Denson shared. “Growing up, I came to practices in the late 80s and early 90s and was amazed to see Mike Thomas throw and punt. It was my dream to play here and that happened.
“Before I knew it, I was back here as an assistant coach,” he continued. “Looking back at it, I know for sure that I can’t speed God’s timing up or slow it down. And this was the right time. I’ve done everything inside this program except win games (as head coach), which is something I hope to do.”
Also while at Richmond, Denson played baseball for four seasons and was a varsity player for three years. He went on to play baseball at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, graduating with a finance degree in 2004.
Entering the world of public education and coaching in 2007, Denson was an assistant varsity baseball coach at West Carteret High School. In Jan. 2009, he returned home to Richmond County and built his resume at his alma mater.
Going straight into baseball, Denson led the JV Raiders in 2009 and was promoted to a varsity assistant during the 2010-2016 seasons. Denson’s first role with the football program was the team’s running backs and quarterbacks coach (2009).
In 2016, Denson transitioned to wide receivers coach and was named the offensive special teams coordinator. When Till was hired, Denson was promoted to offensive coordinator in 2017 until his departure in 2021.
The Hire
On the same day as Till’s resignation, Denson reached out to head principal Jim Butler and athletic director Mike Way. He told them “I’m in” and expressed he’d do the necessary steps to “make it happen.”
Denson first applied for the Richmond head coaching job in 2014 following the departure of Paul Hoggard. Hoping to “get my name out there and show some interest,” Denson explained that his eye had been on the role but didn’t think he would be hired.
A two-season stint by Mike Castellano yielded another opening following the 2016 season and Denson wasn’t considered for the job because of his lack of head coaching experience, a new requirement for the position.
As the Raiders’ offensive coordinator for five seasons, Denson used the talents of several future Division I players to dominate defenses. Under his tenure, Richmond scored 38.7 points per game in 56 games, collected an average of 4,087.8 yards of total offense each fall and set several offensive program records.
After the 2021 season, Denson left public education and coaching altogether to join the private sector for two years.
“I could never see myself coaching against Richmond, and I want to see this school and program be successful,” Denson explained as to why he applied.
“It’s been really good to be away and observe from the outside looking in and come up with good ideas that will help us.”
Denson said “without a shadow of doubt” that his previous time teaching and coaching at the high school has better prepared him for his next adventure.
From knowing the coaches, students, administration and the community, Denson has “been here when (football) has been good and bad.” That, he noted, will allow him to “hone in on the specifics of winning football much more quickly.”
The Style
Remembering how animated he would get on the sidelines during certain situations, Denson noted he’s “grown and matured a lot” from a coaching standpoint. Acting as an OC, he said he was “put in the fire and had to make decisions quickly,” which will complement his new role nicely.
Hoping to expound upon the greatness that has been Richmond Raider football for the past half century, Denson has been adamant about making changes to the little things around the locker room.
In his opening meeting with his staff last week, Denson detailed how “everything starts with the coaches… from how we carry ourselves and dress, how we keep our offices and how well organized we are.”
By being a mirror image of what he expects Richmond football to be, Denson believes “the kids will follow us.”
The Raiders’ slogan this year is “be tough.” The acronym stands for — belief, energetic, tenacious, opportunistic, unbreakable, gritty and humble.
Following those standards, Denson said the Raiders will be a “tough individual” to conquer on and off the gridiron.
The Game Plan
When asked what type of schemes he plans to run on offense and defense, Denson said he’s “not married to one thing” but that he’s “married to the idea of getting our playmakers the ball in space offensively.”
The Raiders’ personnel will dictate that, he added, and he wants the team’s playmakers to get the ball as much as possible every four quarters. Special teams play is also something Denson expects to be disciplined.
On the other side, Denson pointed to Richmond’s front seven in the box as being the “strong suit.” With linebacker Joe Parsons returning as the conference’s reigning defensive player of the year, Denson will rely on Parsons for his playmaking and leadership abilities.
“Defensively, I want to consistently not give up the big play and keep the ball in front of us,” Denson said. “And I want to make teams earn their (offensive) drives against us.
“The style we will play with will be fast, physical and disciplined. Of course we want to have fun and we want to bring that here.
“I’m not a gambler, but I will take a calculated chance when the situation presents itself. I’ll do what we need to do to win.”
Denson credited Hoggard, Till and his father as major playmakers in developing him as a coach. During his time under Till, Denson said the former Raider coach “showed me the way a head coach does things,” as the two often “collaborated together on making big decisions.”
The Vision
For the first time in program history, Richmond will start the 2024 season after back-to-back losing campaigns. In 2022 and 2023, the Raiders went 5-6 overall and were eliminated in the opening round of the state playoffs.
Understanding the program’s and community’s desire to win, Denson has shouldered the expectation of returning to what local fans remember as the good old days.
Thinking short and long term, Denson is up to the challenge of restoring the Raiders’ greatness, especially concerning the team’s elusive eighth state championship.
“It will be different from what’s been seen the last few years,” Denson promised. “There will be a disciplined team — our kids always play hard because that’s what we’ve got here — a team that’s professional, looks good and has fun at practices and on Thursday and Friday nights.
“At Richmond the expectation is to win a state championship, and I know that coming in. Do I envision us getting back to that? Yes, absolutely.”
With offseason workouts and spring football just around the corner, Denson is taking everything in stride to construct the best chances for the program to succeed.
“Our No. 1 priority right now is to get all of the nuts and bolts together,” Denson said. “We’re getting our staff together and putting a new strength coordinator in place. I’ve met with the kids several times and we’ve started our new lift cycle.
“The goal is to get the kids to buy into what we’re about. Change is a good thing, especially to get some excitement in here.”
The Tradition of Excellence
While the last two seasons have ended more abruptly than Raider fans have wanted, it’s sometimes the things the general public doesn’t see that are the most inspiring.
Like that battered sticker on the front door of Denson’s office, a shining reminder of what Richmond football has always been and will likely continue to be under his tutelage.
“I was born and raised here,” Denson closed. “I played and won here. I’ve coached here, I live here and I think that goes a long way in building trust with our community.
“I am all about Richmond County, and part of that is getting the community more involved with our program. Friday nights should be a family atmosphere with parents bringing kids to the games. I’m excited to see that happen.”
Denson, who has been on campus the past several weeks, will officially start on Feb. 15.
