More Than Football: Mook Reynolds Building a Championship Culture at T.W. Andrews

Written by Robby Hoopes

Drawing on lessons learned through football and adversity, Reynolds is developing young men while building a championship program at T.W. Andrews.

As the calendar approaches November, most high school football teams are facing one of two realities. They are realizing their season is nearing its end, or they are preparing for championship competition. The 2026 T.W. Andrews football team is one that has given itself the opportunity to compete for championships. To understand how T.W. Andrews reached this point, the story begins with head coach Jamon “Mook” Reynolds.

Mook Reynolds was no stranger to championship-level competition during his playing days at Northern Guilford High School and Virginia Tech. Reynolds was part of two North Carolina state championship teams at Northern Guilford and later competed for an ACC championship at Virginia Tech. His individual accomplishments also included being a two-time All-Metro and All-State honoree. Those experiences helped establish the foundation for the program Reynolds is building at Andrews, one he describes as “hard-nosed and tough.” He added, “We pride ourselves on being in shape…we work.”

Reynolds credits those experiences, along with the coaches he played for, with helping shape the coach he is today. “I think being fortunate to have the coaches that I had in high school and college, and honestly, my failures prepared me,” Reynolds said in a recent interview with GMG Athletics. “I think that’s given me a kind of insight and relevancy that a lot of these kids need. Not everybody’s upbringing is a perfect situation, so handling adversity is a skill that’s just as important as, you know, an athletic skill.”

Beyond his accomplishments on the field, Reynolds draws on his experience navigating the business side of football to prepare his players for the realities of the game and life beyond it. “I gotta prepare these kids for life outside of [football]. It’s a business, and in business there are things that are collateral, you know, your body, your production in exchange for opportunities, education, and all of those things,” Reynolds said. He emphasized the importance of “being transparent with them and really preparing them on how to manage and navigate that business while also getting the things they need to understand about it.”

Reynolds also recognizes the responsibility he has as a coach to teach his players that “everybody’s journey is different.” He is honest and transparent with his players about what coaches look for at the next level, while emphasizing the importance of preparing them mentally, physically, and emotionally. Reynolds also sees coaching as an opportunity to teach his players “how to be a husband, how to be a community member, how to be an employee.” That emphasis on developing young men, while holding them accountable and setting high expectations, has become a foundation of the culture Reynolds is building at Andrews.

In just his second year as the head coach at Andrews, Reynolds and his staff had their team in one of those late fall championship bouts. “I think it just speaks volumes to our growth and maturity,” Reynolds said days before the Red Raiders faced Randleman with the PAC Seven Conference championship on the line. On October 29 at A.J. Simeon Stadium in High Point, GMG Athletics was on the sideline to watch Reynolds and his Red Raiders squad battle the Tigers. After building a 20-6 lead, the Red Raiders found themselves trailing by one point with a little under four minutes left. When adversity struck, Reynolds showed passion and support for his team. With their backs against the wall, the Red Raiders demonstrated the resilience their coach had worked to instill in them, refusing to fold under pressure.

Andrews prevailed 26-21, earning Reynolds his first conference championship as a head coach and providing a fitting example of the culture he's worked to build. After finishing the regular season with a 9-1 record, Andrews has earned a first-round bye in the 2026 NCHSAA 4A playoffs. Their championship journey will continue on November 13 at A.J. Simeon Stadium, where Reynolds and his staff will look to build on the growth their team has demonstrated throughout the season.