Brett Andrews (Courtesy photo)
TRINITY – Brett Andrews doesn’t need to look at the projected Trinity roster for the upcoming boys’ basketball season. Nor does he have to scan the Bulldogs’ schedule.
None of that matters because he knows he has his work cut out for him.
He’s following legendary Tim Kelly as the Trinity coach.
“I’d say coaching behind him is probably one of the toughest gets in North Carolina,” Andrews said.
Andrews is a former Trinity standout athlete and ex-junior varsity coach for the Bulldogs. He’s back at the school after one season as Providence Grove’s coach.
Kelly revealed his decision to retire from coaching this summer after more than three decades in the role.
Andrews, 40, had accepted a social studies teaching position to return to Trinity. He said he anticipated being an assistant to Kelly.
Then the scenario changed and he’s excited about his new role. Don’t expect many changes regarding how the Bulldogs operate under Andrews.
“I want to carry out what (Kelly) has created and what he developed with Trinity basketball,” he said. “It’s going to be based off his legacy.”
Kelly’s teams amassed 673 victories in 34 seasons. The Bulldogs won the Class 3A state championship in 2004. The school’s gym is named in Kelly’s honor.
Andrews held a position at Southwestern Randolph Middle School before taking a role as with the in-school suspension program at Trinity. During that time, he spent 13 seasons on Trinity’s basketball staff, along with a stint as football coach and junior varsity baseball coach.
“Coach Kelly needed a JV coach at the time and it just took off,” he said.
Andrews filled the vacancy during the last school year at Providence Grove. The Patriots had a 7-18 record, including an 0-3 mark vs. Trinity.
“It gave me my first opportunity to do varsity,” he said. “I didn’t plan on leaving after a year. I’ve wanted to return home for my family and my kids.”
There were lessons learned at Providence Grove, including those relating to delegating responsibilities.
Andrews, a 2003 graduate, has been selected as a member of the second Trinity Athletics Hall of Fame class. He was football quarterback on a team that advanced to the third round of the state playoffs, a guard in basketball and a middle infielder in baseball. He made stops in college baseball programs at Campbell, Surry Community College and Barton.
At Trinity, all five starters from the 2023-24 team are gone. So it will be a new crew on the court.
“A lot of them are just adjusting to the varsity level,” Andrews said.
