By Randy Capps
It’s easy for a coach to come into a high school football program and talk about the importance of family and community.
When that coach is a graduate of that program, the message resonates just a little bit more.
Lee Webb grew up in Benson, played football at South Johnston, earning his diploma in 2007, took a job coaching there in 2017 and then became head football coach for the Trojans in 2021.
From the day he took the job until now, he’s been preaching — and practicing — community, and for those efforts, he’s the 2025 Johnston Now Honors Inspiring Coach Award winner.
“We’ve had great seasons,” he said. “We want to win more games, obviously. But the biggest thing for us as a staff and as a community is helping the next generation become the men and fathers that they need to be. That’s something that was instilled early in my life.
“I come from a single parent home. My mom raised me. But one of the things she always taught me was to be a hard worker. To do things the right way. And our family always believed in being together. So I’ve kind of taken that approach that she instilled in me and kind of and tried to instill into our program.”
Whether it’s putting in the work in the weight room or the practice field, building bonds in the community through participating in Read Across America or raising money to buy gifts for families at Christmas, Webb and his Trojans have embraced that spirit.
“I tell them that Scotty McCreery has a song that talks about the dash in between (the years) on your tombstone,” he said. “That’s the most important thing. And those guys, what they’re doing … it means the world. It’s one of those thankless things that you do, but you’re doing it to help your community.”
Inspiring future Trojans at the feeder schools in Four Oaks, Benson and Meadow is a part of that as well.
“We talk about it all the time,” he said. “Those little guys that are five, six, seven, eight years old, they see (our players) on Thursday and Friday nights. They think that they’re some type of God to them. The smallest gesture of giving them a high five or telling them ‘good job,’ that means the world to them.”
His own journey as a player through that system shaped his approach as its leader.
“I had two special coaches that kind of changed my direction in life,” he said. “My mom instilled my work ethic and the importance of family. We live by our five core values: work ethic, attitude, discipline, leadership and commitment. And those two coaches have been an integral part of my life.
“One gave me a job that I worked throughout college for seven or eight years working with him. He’s been like a second father to me. The other one, he’s still coaching, and I talk to him on a regular basis. It’s one of those things that, you know, anytime I need advice or if I’m going through something — not in football, but just in life — I can call on them.
“You know how you get those guys in your life that you remember.? I’ve always thought to myself that if I can be like those two guys and have just one kid come back and say, ‘hey, coach. You did something for me.’ That’s special.”
Webb has been in coaching long enough to see the young men he’s helping to mold become fathers and leaders of their own households.
“We’re blessed,” he said. “We do have a community that supports our program. … I kind of think that we did it together as a team. I take pride in being able to see some of those guys grow. We’ve got one guy that’s got his own crew. He works with an excavator, laying pipe and he’s in charge of seven or eight people. And I’m thinking, hopefully we helped him learn how to be a little bit of a better leader.
“We’ve got another one. He’s just had his second child. Two girls. Bless his heart. Just like me. But he’s doing great. He loves his children. I see him on Facebook, constantly taking pictures of their children. And it kind of makes you proud that they’re being the father that we tried helping them to be. Obviously, they’ve got parents that have helped them. They’ve got other teachers and the administrators that have helped them along the way. But it’s just kind of satisfying to think, well, I was kind of a part of it.”
It was that sort of impact that led to the nomination, but Webb is quick to point out that he’s not the only one that approaches coaching this way.
“I don’t know how I got nominated,” he said. “I know it’s an honor, and I appreciate whoever did it. But I’m not the only coach in this county that does these types of things. All of us are a team, and you know, coaching ain’t getting easier. That’s for sure. So this just ain’t one person’s award. It’s to all the coaches that put in time. Because at the end of the day we put in a lot of time that we take away from our families. (I’ve got) a six and a four year old that wants me at home. But, in the long run, they’re seeing that hopefully their Daddy’s trying to make a difference in someone else’s life.”
