FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 20, 2020
New Granby High School Principal Tommy Smigiel and new Athletic Director Chris Harris did not have to look far to find Granby’s new Head Football Coach. Both are pleased to announce Coach William “Larry” Archie, Jr. as the program’s leader.
Archie reluctantly stepped down as Granby’s football coach last year due to the difficulty of traveling back and forth from Portsmouth each day, where he was a middle school counselor (read more about that here).
Fortunately, Coach Archie landed a school counselor position at Madison Alternative School in Norfolk this school year. When Principal Smigiel arrived at Granby, he had the task of finding a new athletic director and football coach. Ultimately, Archie’s reputation and character led Smigiel back to him.
“Everyone who spoke to me about finding the right football coach for Granby pointed to who was there previously. As I learned more about his coaching history, the way he treats his players, his coaching style, and overall philosophy, he aligned with the vision I have for turning around our program,” Smigiel stated.
“You could not ask for a better person to lead our football team,” added Athletic Director Harris. “Not only is he a successful football coach, but he is also a person of great character. We are lucky to have him back at Granby.”
Archie led the Comets to a 2-8 record in his first season at Granby. It included helping the Comets snap a 17-game losing streak. They also won back-to-back games for the first time since 2017.
“I am grateful and humbled to return to the Granby High Football Program. I look forward to working with the students, administration, faculty, staff, and alumni, and Comet Community,” said Coach Archie.
Prior to coming to Granby, Archie was the Head Coach at I.C. Norcom High School in Portsmouth for 18 seasons, amassing an overall record of 152-63. That included an 8-5 finish during the 2018 campaign, where the Greyhounds reached the Region 3A Championship and fell to Phoebus in a triple-overtime heart-breaker, 7-6.
With 34 years of coaching experience, Archie isn't limited to being the Head Coach. At the college level, he served as an assistant at both Norfolk State University and Bowie State. He also served as an assistant to Hank Sawyer at Lake Taylor.
Coach Archie and his staff are already working to keep the momentum going from last season, hosting their first conditioning practice last week. While COVID-19 has hampered the start of the athletic season, it hasn’t stopped the spirit of the Granby High Football program and finding the right leader.
Granby is slated to open the 2020-21 season in February at reigning Class 4 State Champion Lake Taylor. Their six-game slate will consist of all Eastern District opponents with Norview being the lone team from the league that they do not face.
