Duff, a 1990 Hillsboro High School graduate, has agreed to return home as the new head football coach of the Hiltoppers. He was approved as a biology teacher and football coach by the Hillsboro Board of Education on Tuesday night.

“Wanting to return home is something I’ve had on my mind,” Duff said Tuesday. “I’m not uphappy here (at Greenville). I’ve told people before that Hillsboro would be the only job I’d consider leaving here for.”

Duff, 36, will take over for Rich Stewart, who resigned after a three-year stint as head football coach. Stewart also was the Toppers’ head coach from 1994-2002, with Duff serving as an assistant during the ’94 season.

A Greenville College graduate, Duff has been head coach at Greenville High the past seven years, with the Comets going 53-21 and reaching the playoffs six years in a row.

He also coaches boys track at Greenville.

Duff said it’s not easy leaving a successful program at Greenville. But the move to Hillsboro, a South Central Conference rival just 18 miles to the north, was a natural for Duff and his wife, Jamie, who teaches at Hillsboro Junior High School.

They have two children: 3-year-old son Zane and 6-year-old daughter Lacie.

“Several of my friends from high school, now they have kids the same age as ours,” Duff said. “Jamie’s from Greenville, but she’s all for (the move). This job opening up like it did, it’s like someone was trying to tell me something, you know? It worked out perfectly.”

Duff will move from one successful program to another. Hillsboro went 7-3 last season, bringing Stewart’s 12-year mark to 87-38 with nine playoff appearances. Greenville’s 29-10 win over Hillsboro last season was Duff’s first win in five tries against his former mentor.

The Comets also beat Hillsboro 26-15 in 2003, when David Powell as the Toppers’ head coach.

“When I student-taught at Hillsboro, (Stewart) was the head coach,” Duff said. “I hated leaving, going out and getting a job somewhere else. I always thought it would be nice to return home if I got the chance. Hillsboro football had a great tradition, and I wanted to be part of it.

“From my understanding, we’ll only have five or six seniors this coming season. We’ll have a lot of younger kids coming up. It’ll be a challenge, and the kids will have to get to know me. I’m a different person.”

Dave Kane can be reached at 788-1544.