Two Columbia high schools make coaching hires for football teams
Two Columbia city schools announced new coaches to lead their football programs Tuesday night.
Fairfield County assistant coach Scotty Dean will be the new coach at C.A. Johnson, and West Ashley assistant coach Shaquille Hilton is going to be Eau Claire’s new coach.
Dean replaces Walt Wilson, who left to become the coach at Richland Northeast in February. He has been at Fairfield Central as an assistant for the past 13 season and was the team’s defensive coordinator this year in addition to his duties as FC baseball coach.
Dean said it was right time for him to try and be a head coach and hopes to take what he has learned at Fairfield Central under Reggie Kennedy and Demetrius Davis.
Dean is inheriting a CAJ program with several returning players and coming off a 4-3 record in the COVID-shortened 2020 season, the school’s first winning season since 2009.
“The future over there is definitely bright and can’t wait to get over there and get started,” Dean said. “I hope to put together a good staff and to see if we can add on to what they started building.”
Hilton replaces Michael Kelly, who stepped down this offseason, and returns back to the Midlands where he was a standout at Columbia High School and a former assistant coach at Eau Claire from 2018-19.
Hilton has been at West Ashley as the linebackers coach and head wrestling coach since 2019.
Hilton was a three-time all-region selection at Columbia High and went to play at Coastal Carolina.
Midlands football coaching openings
School — Former Coach — New Coach
Ben Lippen — James Reynolds — Stephen Cagle
CA Johnson — Walt Wilson — Scotty Dean
Eau Claire — Michael Kelly — Shaquille Hilton
Hammond — Erik Kimrey — Jon Wheeler
Keenan — Sean Gilley — Ray McCleod
Northside Christian — Stacy Bell — Dean Howell
Richland Northeast — Will Richardson — Walt Wilson
Ridge View — Perry Parks — Derek Howard
White Knoll — Dean Howell — Nick Pelham
This story was originally published May 25, 2021 at 8:01 PM.
