Clark’s Full-Circle Moment: Former Kinston Champion Now Coaching for a Title
Clark’s Full-Circle Moment: Former Kinston Champion Now Coaching for a Title
KINSTON — Nearly a decade after celebrating a state championship as a freshman at Kinston High School, Reginald Clark — known to many around the program as “Tig,” short for Tigga — now stands one win away from another title, this time on the sidelines.
If the Vikings defeat Walkertown in the NCHSAA 3A state championship Friday at LJVM Coliseum in Winston-Salem, Clark could become one of the rare figures in program history to win a state championship at Kinston both as a player and as a coach.
But Clark insists the moment isn’t about him.
“I want it bad for these boys,” Clark said. “It’s not even about me. This team is special.”
Clark understands what it means to wear the Viking uniform. As a freshman in 2015, he helped Kinston capture a state championship, beginning his varsity career on one of the state’s biggest stages.
Now he’s back inside the same program helping guide the next generation.
“It’s always good being able to give back to the kids that come from where I came from,” Clark said. “We’ve had a lot of players come through here and do great things, so being able to come back and help these kids get better means a lot.”
Clark’s connection with players is strengthened by the fact that he isn’t far removed from his own playing days.
“The bond is great,” Clark said. “Being a younger coach, I can still get out there sometimes and run with them. While I’m out there, I’m coaching them through what needs to happen and how things should go.”
That ability to relate to players has helped him build strong relationships inside the locker room.
“You’ve got to tell them what’s right and what’s wrong,” Clark said. “I’ll be the bad cop if I need to,” Clark said. “As long as they’re doing what they’re supposed to do, I’m good with that.”
For Clark, coaching was almost inevitable.
Basketball runs deep in his family.
His mother, Shonda Hines, is the head JV girls basketball coach and head varsity softball coach at Kinston High School. His father, Reginald Clark, is the head basketball coach at North Pitt.
His brothers also built strong basketball careers.
Dory Hines was a state championship point guard at Kinston before playing collegiately at the University of Mount Olive. He now coaches at Myers Park High School in Charlotte.
Another brother, Nootsie Hines, also played at Kinston before continuing his career at Shaw University. He now coaches at Hopewell in the Charlotte area while also working with athletes through individual training.
Growing up around that environment helped Clark develop a deep understanding of the game early.
“My dad coached when my brothers were playing, and I had to watch the game growing up,” Clark said. “The first half I could run around and be a kid, but the second half I had to sit down and study the game. I’ve been around it for a long time.”
Clark also credits longtime Kinston head coach Perry Tyndall for shaping his basketball knowledge.
Tyndall, who has surpassed 300 career wins and won four state championships, has built one of the most respected programs in North Carolina high school basketball.
“When I was a player, you just had to trust what Coach Tyndall said,” Clark said. “He knows the game. Now that I’m on the coaching staff and my basketball IQ has grown, I can pass that same message to these kids — just listen to him. He’s not going to lead you wrong.”
While Clark’s 2015 championship team relied heavily on size and length, he sees this year’s group as a different kind of team.
“That team was big and long,” Clark said. “This team is different. We don’t really have a true five. We’re more one through four with a stretch four. But the pace these kids play with is crazy.”
Despite those differences, Clark believes the Vikings are peaking at the right time.
“They’ve had their ups and downs this season,” Clark said. “But they’re clicking right now. They’re clicking at the right time.”
That momentum has carried Kinston all the way to the 3A state championship game.
And if the Vikings finish the job Friday night in Winston-Salem, Clark’s journey will come full circle — from a freshman celebrating a state title on the court to a coach helping lead the program back to the top.
But even then, Clark says the moment will belong to the players.
“This team is special,” he said. “I just want it for them.”
