East Burke hires Draughn DC Winkler as new football coach

Just a week after Chris Cogdill resigned following one season, East Burke High School has a new football head coach.

And he’s an East Burke man.

EBHS 2000 graduate Jonathan Winkler on Tuesday morning was named the Cavaliers’ 13th all-time head coach in the sport. The news came via a press release from East Burke principal Dr. Anna Moose.

Winkler for the past four seasons was assistant head coach and defensive coordinator at Draughn.

“We are excited to welcome back Coach Winkler to the East Burke High School community and look forward to the leadership, dedication, and positive impact he will bring to our student-athletes and football program,” Moose said, according to the release. “We know that great things happen when a community comes together, and we’re excited to support him as he begins this new chapter. We are excited to see the proud and strong tradition of Cavalier football continue under his leadership.”

Winkler was an all-conference performer in both football and track and field at EBHS who started his prep football coaching career at Hibriten in 2004. He then moved to Alexander Central in 2006 and remained there until 2021, coaching multiple positions in football and also serving as Cougars head coach in track and field and girls basketball.

At ACHS, Winkler was a four-time conference coach of the year in track and coached on multiple conference title teams under Tom Harper (who he played under as a senior at EBHS), Chris Deal, Nick Bazzle, and Butch Carter on the gridiron.

He also coached track at Draughn, where in year one as defensive coordinator, he helped the Wildcats to their first-ever conference title in a 13-win season that ended in the NCHSAA 1A West Regional final.

The Wildcats finished .500 or better and reached the playoffs in each of Winkler’s first three seasons in Valdese.

“We couldn’t be more excited to welcome Coach Winkler back to Cavalier Country,” East Burke athletic director Chip Watts said. “His passion for our school, his dedication to student-athletes, and his commitment to excellence make him the perfect person to lead our football program.

“Coach Winkler understands what it means to wear the Cavalier colors. … We believe the future of Cavalier football is incredibly bright.”

Winkler replaces Cogdill, whose lone EBHS squad finished 4-7 overall on the gridiron last fall, qualifying for the NCHSAA state playoffs for the first time since 2015. That 2015 season is the only full season since 2009 in which EB posted a winning overall record.

Still, Winkler calls returning to his alma mater and receiving his first head coaching job “an awesome opportunity.”

“The job came open, and I was a little hesitant at first,” Winkler said. “I kept thinking about it and talked about it with my wife. She said, ‘This is something you wanted, and it’s not just a job to you. This is home.’

“And she was right. I played for this program, and they gave me a lot growing up, this community of East Burke. And what I want to do right now as head coach is to give back to that community and give everything I have to them.”

Winkler in the release noted that: “I continue to be driven by one core belief: that a coach’s greatest responsibility is shaping the minds, hearts, and character of young people both on and off the field.”

Winkler moves from a P.E. teaching position at Draughn to a P.E. position at EBHS. Draughn ninth-year head coach Chris Powell said he believes the P.E. job can be filled by whomever DHS is able to hire as either offensive or defensive coordinator, as Powell can coach either side of the ball.

“The Draughn Wildcat football family would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to Coach Winkler for his years of dedicated service to our program,” Powell said. “(He) played a vital role in building a tough, disciplined, and competitive defense. (He) invested in the lives of countless young men, teaching them accountability, perseverance, and what it means to compete with character.

“While we are saddened to see him leave, we couldn’t be more excited for this next chapter. Thank you, Coach Winkler. You will always be a part of the Wildcat family.”

At EBHS, Winkler said he foresees Allen Wittenberg remaining in his role as defensive coordinator as most of the Cavaliers’ 2025 staff remains in place. Wittenberg has head coaching experience, including on an interim basis at EB to end the 2024 season.

“He runs what I’m used to anyway with a 3-4 reduction front,” Winkler said.

Winkler, meanwhile, will coach on the offensive side of the ball with the Cavs, something he’s well-acquainted with as despite coaching exclusively on defense at Draughn, he has coached every offensive position group except for quarterbacks over his 20-plus year career on the sidelines.

The Cavaliers are set to bring back All-Western Piedmont 3A/4A Conference and first-team All-Burke County players Carter Bennett, Jaxson Wiley, Daniel Cook, and RJ Williams plus all-county honorable mentions Luke Evans, Aiden Pyatte, Leelan Pyatte, Jesiah Rees, and Cayson Mooneyham.

“We have to hit the ground running,” Winkler said. “The timing is weird, but … it’s a good coaching staff. I’m going to start calling some of them today, introducing myself. I know Coach Wittenberg is going to be a huge resource for me.

“As far as system and stuff like that, it’s a lot easier for me as one person who is new to kinda see what they’ve already been doing this offseason and just tweak it here and there to fit my philosophies instead of just taking a wrecking ball in there and starting all over. I don’t think there’s a reason to reinvent the wheel. They’ve got a bunch of good players coming back who I am excited about coaching, and even though we only have a month until the first official practice with a couple dead periods in there, I’m thrilled about it.”

EB scrimmages Ashe County on the road Aug. 7 to open the preseason, then faces Owen at the 16th annual Burke County Jamboree at Patton on Aug. 14 before opening the regular season at nonconference West Iredell on Aug. 21.