Rodney Hackney thought he was through coaching football. He was wrong. He missed it. And when he was approached about returning to Riverdale last spring, he took the job. Turned out to be a great hire, one which has helped point the Raiders back in the right direction.
Hackney coached at The Dale from 2001-03 and the team made the playoffs each year. The best was a 9-3 season in 2001. Since then he’s been the head coach at Osborne, Mays, Lithonia, North Clayton (where he went 29-7 and won a region championship) and Washington. His last year as head coach was 2014.
“I’ve stayed in touch with everyone,” Hackney said. “Tommy Estes, who was my defensive coordinator is now the assistant principal and he called me to see if I was interested. I still knew the community well and it seemed like a good fit.”
He brought in a motto that has since taken the school by storm: “Don’t Flinch.” The words were borrowed from Kobe Bryant and resonate with the students. The meaning is simple: When times get tough or adversity strikes, don’t flinch. You can now find players, students and faculty members wearing T-shirts with the motto.
“They were 1-9 last year and they had plenty of opportunities to flinch,” Hackney said. “The whole school has bought into it. It means no matter what the situation, whatever you go through in life, don’t flinch. Go back and try again.”
Riverdale is off to a 4-1 start. The Raiders have beaten North Clayton, Drew, Miller Grove and McIntosh in last week’s Region 3 opener. The only loss was to No. 4-ranked Carrollton on the road. They were 1-4 at this point in 2017 on their way to a 1-9 finish.
“I told the kids anything can change,” Hackney said. “You don’t have to have the 1-9 mentality. You can change.”
Riverdale must now be considered a playoff contender in Region 3. The Raiders missed the postseason last year and have qualified only once since 2012.
Riverdale done it with defense, which has allowed 15.4 points per game – almost half of what the Raiders gave up a year ago. Hackney gives a lot of credit to defensive coordinator Max Wiltz.
“Defense is always the key,” Hackney said. “We’re playing good defense right now.”
Hackney credited senior captain Wykevious Thomas, a 6-3, 315-pound defensive lineman, for anchoring the defense. Thomas is a four-year starter who is being recruited by West Georgia.
The offense is led by three-year starter Phalon Daniels, a tailback. The Raiders are averaging 23.2 points, up nearly nine points from a year ago. Hackney was impressed with the 40 points scored last week against McIntosh and said the Raiders dropped two other would-be touchdowns.
Riverdale plays at Fayette County (0-4) on Friday before jumping in to play the region’s primary playoff contenders.
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