Gene Cathcart discusses Batesburg-Leesville football, expectations, Stetson Bennett
Gene Cathcart is the new coach of the Batesburg-Leesville High School football program.
The Daniel High graduate has a history of winning at his various stops in South Carolina and Georgia over the years. The State caught up with Cathcart at his introductory news conference Thursday to talk about his new job, the challenges and opportunities ahead, and his relationship with national championship-winning quarterback Stetson Bennett.
The State: Before the ball started rolling for you and this job opening, what did you know about the Batesburg-Leesville program and its history?
Gene Cathcart: Having been at Greenwood and several other jobs at South Carolina and gone to Daniel High School, I am familiar with what Batesburg has. Coach (Phil) Strickland, all the litany of successful coaches and teams that have been here. One of the things that makes this place so attractive to me, aside from getting back to South Carolina, is I had a working relationship with the superintendent and principal from our time in the same region with me at Greenwood and them at Laurens. The second thing is the size of the school. I want my daughter to go to school where people know each other’s names. And you want to be at a place where football is important. And if we aren’t successful, I hope the lunchroom lady shorts me a few french fries, hope my barber messes up my hair and my neighbor’s dog barks at me. Then you know you are in a town where it matters, and if you are in a town that matters, then the kids matter.
TS: What does a coach’s to-do list look like in the first few weeks and months? (Cathcart won’t officially start at the school until July 1 and be going back forth from Georgia.)
GC: There will be a while where it is tough. There will be a lot of emails and a lot of communication with coaches and players. Every time I come over here, I need to be as efficient as I can until I get here full time. It is a process, and it is hard to get to know people when you aren’t there in front of them. It will do my heart good to get here and fully invest over here.
TS: Where do you see this program in the next five years?
GC: Hopefully turning young guys into men and making them future fathers, employees, better students. We want to make sure every goal they have they attack relentlessly and be the very best they can be. If you do those things, I think the wins will follow. We will preach to our guys to surrender the results and scoreboard. All we can handle is the preparation, and once preparation happens it’s about a game. No matter how us as coaches think we are important, it is a players’ game. Once they are out there, they will have confidence to perform and win our fair share. Big thing is to believe there is something special inside of them because I believe there is. You aren’t a Batesburg-Leesville football player without having the dream over the next five years to chase championships.
TS: What was the message to you from the administration for what they want to see with the program?
GC: The message was really refreshing. It was to take care of our kids, love them up and do a good job in the classroom. Academics are a priority here. I think this place understands, while athletics isn’t a main priority, it helps the school. I think the administration’s message was, ‘We have your back, we are going to support you, the community is going to support you.’ We’ve got great young people here and have coaches in place that are quality coaches and teachers of the game. They didn’t have to offer me the job twice, I will say that.
TS: What are the traits of a Gene Cathcart-coached football team?
GC: My hope is others coaches would say, ‘Good gosh, your team plays hard,’ because they are part of a cause and not a part of a program. I would hope they are cared for, disciplined and toughness. Not beating yourself is huge. I have been part of an offense at Presbyterian (College) where they threw it 70 times and been part of an offense that ran it 72 times at Jefferson (Georgia). I don’t worry as much about that as the self-inflicted wounds, hurting yourself, turning the ball over, penalties. The last thing I hope they say is they have fun and play the game the right way and have class. Coach (Shell) Dula told me that one time. If they say your team has class and are physical, then those are two things that every coach should beam and smile about.
TS: What are some of your favorite memories from your time in South Carolina before?
GC: That is awfully tough. It probably goes back to being undefeated my senior year at Daniel (1986) as a player. Coaching is very satisfying and it is so cool seeing other people be successful. But man, there is something about your time in high school. I think those academy and charter school-type programs might miss out on. Not that I am being critical of them at all. But growing up with those people and sharing your life experiences with them and representing the community. There is an actual place with brick and mortar and grass. You represent tradition. When I was in high school, a lot of my self-worth came from this game. Sharing those moments with my high school teammates would be that.
TS: You mentioned your relationship with Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett. How did that come about?
GC: Just working youth camps and quarterback camps. His dad brought him up to Greenwood and Presbyterian when I was there. I would work as long in the day as they wanted to work, but I never charged them. I feel if I charged them I couldn’t tell them the truth. And in that deal, the infinite wisdom of Gene Cathcart told him to transfer to a smaller school. Now, he is a national champion. Maybe, he did a good job not listening to me.
