Following the death of a longtime Carrboro High School coach and teacher last week, the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools district and broader Triangle education community are processing the loss.

Sheremy Dillard — the current women’s basketball coach of Felton Grove High School and former Carrboro High women’s hoops coach — was killed last week in an apparent stabbing at her home. Raleigh Police said they found the 57-year-old on Thursday after a wellness check requested by her family. The next day, authorities in Pennsylvania arrested and charged Dillard’s boyfriend 60-year-old Rickey Harper with murder.

The incident left many in the Felton Grove community shocked, with Principal Robert Morrison sharing a statement pledging to “work together as a unified school community” in the wake of her loss. But the news also stunned many in the Chapel Hill and Carrboro community too, with Dillard having coached at Carrboro High for 17 years before leaving for Wake County Public Schools two years ago. She was the school’s first girls’ basketball head coach when it opened in 2007 and won the Northern Lakes Athletic Conference Coach of the Year award in 2023 after the Jaguars went 12-2 in conference play.

The CHCCS district shared a post on Facebook Sunday eulogizing Dillard, saying she “left a profound legacy of class, grace, wisdom and dedicated service at Carrboro.” It said the school community will be notified of any upcoming memorial services and celebrations of life when that information becomes available and is appropriate to share, with CHCCS Chief Communications Officer Andy Jenks confirming to Chapelboro the district will be offering mental health resources to all Carrboro High students and staff.

“Many of our current Jaguar staff and students had strong, lasting relationships with Coach Dillard,” read the district’s statement. “As we learn more and process the tragic circumstances surrounding her passing, we will rely on each other for the needed support at this sad time.”

Carrboro High School and other CHCCS staff returned to campuses this week to prepare for the 2025-26 school year. The first day of classes for students and schools following the traditional academic calendar is Monday, August 24.

Editor’s Note: If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Helpline at 800-799-SAFE or text “START” to 88788.

Featured image via Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools.

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