A Life That Built a Program and Shaped Generations: Remembering Coach James “Rabbit” Fulghum

A Life That Built a Program and Shaped Generations: Remembering Coach James “Rabbit” Fulghum

Greene County lost more than a legendary coach today. It lost a cornerstone of its community.

For decades, James “Rabbit” Fulghum was the heartbeat of Greene Central athletics, a man whose influence stretched far beyond the chalk lines of a baseball diamond. His accomplishments are easy to list—state championships, hundreds of wins, hall of fame honors—but those numbers only tell part of the story. The true legacy of Coach Fulghum lives in the lives he shaped, the lessons he passed on, and the pride he helped build in Greene County.

A native of Rock Ridge, Fulghum’s journey in athletics began as a standout multi-sport athlete. He was a four-year letterman in baseball and basketball at Rock Ridge High School and helped lead the basketball team to a State Final Four appearance during his senior season. On the baseball field, he was part of an undefeated team, a sign of the competitive fire that would define his career.

At Atlantic Christian College, now Barton College, Fulghum continued to shine as a four-year starter in baseball under Coach Jack McComas. The Bulldogs finished second in the Carolinas Conference twice during his time there, and Fulghum hit over .300 in three seasons as a catcher.

Despite receiving opportunities to pursue professional baseball, Fulghum chose a different path—one that would change countless lives.

He chose to coach.

His career began at North Edgecombe, where he served as head baseball coach and head basketball coach for both boys and girls. In 1963, his boys basketball team produced a remarkable 30–1 record and captured the State 1-A Championship.

But it was in Greene County where his legend was truly written.

Three years later, Fulghum arrived at Greene Central, beginning a career that would span decades and define the school’s athletic identity. Over more than 40 years guiding the Rams baseball program, Fulghum helped build one of the most respected programs in North Carolina. His teams captured multiple state championships—including titles in 1980, 1982, 1987, 1990 and 2000—and he finished his career with more than 600 victories at the high school level.

He also served as Greene Central’s athletic director for 21 years and coached Post 94 American Legion baseball for nearly two decades, taking teams to the Eastern Finals four times and the State Championship Series twice.

His excellence earned recognition across the state. Fulghum was inducted into the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame in 2016, as well as the Barton College Hall of Fame and the American Legion Baseball Hall of Fame.

But to the players who knew him, those honors were secondary to the man himself.

Former Greene Central player Blake Herring, now the head baseball coach at Carteret Community College, remembers Fulghum as someone who believed in players before they believed in themselves.

He recalled being just 15 years old when Fulghum began putting him on the mound during American Legion games.

“He started putting me out there on the mound in Legion ball when I was 15 to eat up innings in the bullpen,” Herring said. “He let me go through some growing pains and that made me a better pitcher.”

The lessons didn’t stop with baseball.

Herring shared that after helping with a hitting camp one summer, Fulghum handed him an envelope at the end of the week.

“Inside was $90,” Herring said. “It was the most money I ever held in my hand. It was how I bought my school clothes and shoes that year.”

Moments like that defined Fulghum’s impact. His teaching happened everywhere—on the field, in the dugout, and sometimes even while cleaning up after a game.

“My favorite was after the game when we would fix the field together and walk to his car with him after turning the lights out,” Herring said. “He didn’t know what he was doing at the time, but he was passing on knowledge I would use with my teams for the rest of my career.”

Greene Central athletic director David Bryant, a former player and current assistant baseball coach, described Fulghum as a constant presence in Greene County athletics.

“Coach Fulghum was a fixture at Greene Central for five decades,” Bryant said. “He meant a lot to many players that came through Greene Central over the years.”

Bryant said Fulghum had a unique ability to motivate players and get the best from them.

“He always found a way to get the best out of every player he could,” Bryant said.

Even after retiring as coach and athletic director, Fulghum remained deeply connected to the program. He regularly attended games and kept track of scores, often calling Bryant during halftime of football or basketball games to check in.

“He put in countless hours during the week and on the weekends to make sure Greene Central was taken care of,” Bryant said. “He wanted the grounds to look good and be clean. He was always a phone call away no matter what you needed.”

Former Greene Central player Jeremy Anderson reflected on the impact Fulghum had on players who weren’t always the most talented, but who loved the game. Anderson put out a heartfelt message to coach Fulgham on Facebook.

“While people will remember all the state championships, wins, and great players, I will remember how you treated an undersized kid who couldn’t hit his way out of a wet paper bag but wanted nothing more growing up than to be a baseball player at Greene Central,” Anderson wrote.

“You taught me that hard work, effort, attitude and hustle would not only be rewarded on the field, but it was mandatory to be successful in the game of life.”

Anderson said the lessons Fulghum taught him carried forward into his own life and coaching.

“That’s going to be a legacy that far outlives any award, hall of fame, or trophy,” he said. “The lives you touched, the men you molded, the community that you helped build — that impact will be felt for generations.”

For Greene County, Coach Fulghum was more than a coach.

He was a teacher of the game, a mentor to young men, a caretaker of the school he loved, and a steady presence who helped build one of North Carolina’s most respected baseball traditions.

The championships will always be remembered. The banners will always hang.

But the real legacy of James “Rabbit” Fulghum lives in the players who became fathers, coaches, leaders, and mentors themselves because of what they learned from him.

And in Greene County, that legacy will never fade.