A second tenure at Hopkinsville High School has come to an end for the winningest coach in the history of the program. During a media conference Wednesday afternoon, Craig Clayton announced that he was stepping away from the program after his latest go-round with the school that began with the 2017 season.
In his second stint with the Tigers, Clayton was 33-26. His deepest postseason run came in the COVID impacted season of 2020 when Hoptown went 7-3 and reached the Class 4A semifinals before losing on the road at Boyle County.
Clayton stated he had informed the team of his decision earlier in the afternoon. He went on to note that it was “just time” for him to step aside. Clayton added that he was not stepping “away.”
Clayton did point to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic as playing a role in his decision, saying the last two seasons had taken a toll.
In the just-completed 2021 season, Clayton’s Tigers went 7-5, losing to Logan County in the second round of the Class 4A playoffs.
During his first stop with the Tigers, Clayton’s teams were 149-86 in 19 seasons, with seven semifinal appearances and two championship game appearances.
In between his two stints with Hopkinsville, Clayton spent five seasons at Hillsboro, from 2012-2016, with a record of 43-21 and a Class 5A runner-up finish in 2014.
Clayton, who is a Caldwell County High School graduate, also coached at Franklin, Tennessee, compiling a record of 65-22 in seven seasons as head coach. He took Franklin to a 6A runner-up finish in 2008.
Clayton played football for his father Fred at Caldwell County. His first head coaching job was at Todd County Central where he coached the Rebels to a 17-6 record in 1984 and 1985. He took over for Mike Lewis at Hopkinsville High in 1986.
His overall record at Hopkinsville was 182-112. Earlier this year, he coached his 300th career victory in a win over his alma mater. Including games in Tennessee, Clayton’s overall coaching record is 307-161.
Hear Clayton’s comments below.
