NORFOLK, VA (WTKR)- Booker T. Washington's football program enters the 2026 season carrying a 22-game losing streak dating back to 2023, but a new head coach with a championship pedigree is hoping to change the culture — and the scoreboard.
Mike Privott, who most recently served as defensive coordinator at Maury, is taking over as head coach of the Bookers. Privott helped the Commodores win three consecutive state championships under head coach Dyrri McCain, and he is now returning to the site of his first high school coaching job — this time as the one in charge.
"I feel a lot of pressure. Coming from where I came from and my presence in the city, I feel like it has to look a certain way," Privott said. "That's my main thing. My coaches understand that, my players understand that. It has to look a certain way."
Privott credits his time at Maury — and under McCain — as a blueprint for what he wants to build at Booker T. Washington.
"He was on time, he was on point, all the T's were crossed. He did everything perfect. It made our team perfect," Privott said of McCain. "I'm taking what I learned from him to now my own team, my own program and now I make it my own."
Players are already feeling the impact of his arrival. Booker T. Washington senior athlete Kelvin Battle said the new coaching staff is pushing the team in ways that go beyond the field.
"They were winning and winning," Battle said. "He was a good middle linebacker coach over there and he's coming over here and teaching us how to get better in the weight room, get better in the school and just training us hard."
Privott said the winning habits he witnessed at Maury were built on details that his current players need to turn into habits. He's in the process of instilling that mindset.
"They don't know the behind the scenes that goes on that has to be done to be a winner," the head coach pointed out. "These kids now, they're trying to embrace it, they're trying to catch on to it and as coaches, we're not pulling back. We're going to keep at it."
For Battle, the message from the coaching staff is simple.
"We've just got to learn that when it gets hard, never give up. That's all we've got to do." the senior remarked. "We've got to keep coming to school first, getting our work done, coming to practice, working hard and never giving up on each other."
Privott said he hopes the turnaround effort reignites pride in the program for the entire community.
"Hopefully we bring that spark back, tradition back, legacy back to this program. Hopefully people want to be a part of it moving forward so when we do start winning again, they can say 'I was there when it first started and now we're here so now I feel good about that,'" Privott said.
Battle echoed that sentiment.
"We're trying to make Booker T. better again. You know how Booker T. was before? We're trying to bring that back this year for sure."
Booker T. Washington kicks off its season Friday night at home against Kecoughtan.
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