Airport High School hires new football coach to replace outgoing Hall of Famer
Andre Cook got a taste of what being a head coach was like for one game last season. Now, Cook will have a chance to lead his own program.
The River Bluff defensive coordinator was named the new football coach and athletic director at Airport High School. He replaces Kirk Burnett, a former standout player and coach at Airport who is a member of the school’s Hall of Fame.
The moved was approved at Thursday’s Lexington 2 school board meeting.
“This is a goal I wrote down on a piece of paper in 2008,” Cook told The State on Thursday night. “I have been working to get in position for this, and I am really glad it is at Airport. It is a job I have looked at as a great opportunity because of the pride and tradition.
“I always felt if I had an opportunity to go somewhere, it is where I wanted to end up. I couldn’t be more excited.”
Cook has been with River Bluff since 2017 and was the acting coach for a game this season when head coach Blair Hardin was out because of COVID protocols. River Bluff defeated Lugoff-Elgin 28-7, and Cook’s son Apollos had three touchdowns in the game. Apollos Cook is one of the top prospects in South Carolina for Class of 2023 and has several Division I offers.
Apollos Cook is expected to follow his dad and play at Airport for his senior season.
Andre Cook intends to finish out his teaching obligations at River Bluff for the school year but will spend plenty of time at Airport getting to know the players and reaching out to people in the community.
“I want to get in the community and meet people, spend time with the players,” Cook said, “so they can see who I am and my vision for the program. Hopefully they can love me, the way I am going to love them.”
Before River Bluff, Cook was an assistant coach at Fairfield Central from 2015-17 and was at Blythewood from 2009-15. He began his coaching career at North Mecklenburg in Charlotte in 2004.
Cook, who is from New York, played college football at Youngstown State University in Ohio.
Airport went 2-8 this season and lost in the first round of the playoffs to Hartsville.
SC High School Football Openings
School — Former Coach — New Coach
AC Flora — Dustin Curtis— Ken Floyd
Airport — Kirk Burnett — Andre Cook
Bamberg-Ehrhardt — Robert Williams — Corey Crosby
Batesburg-Leesville — Gary Adams — Gene Cathcart
Ben Lippen — Stephen Cagle — Bennett Weigle
Bethune Bowman — Glen Darby — Cody McNeal
Blackville-Hilda — Brandon Isaac — TBA
Bluffton — John Houpt— Hayden Gregory
Boiling Springs — Rick Tate — Matt Reel
Dorman — Dave Guttshall — Dustin Curtis
Dreher — Treigh Sullivan - Corey Jenkins
Hemingway — Charlie Richards — TBA
Hilton Head Prep — Dave Adams — Dustin Etheridge
Lamar — Chad Wilkes — TBA
Lewisville — Will Mitchell — Leon Boulware
Newberry — Phil Strickland — Cedrick Jeter
North Augusta — Jim Bob Bryant — Matt Quinn
North Myrtle Beach — Matt Reel — TBA
Oceanside Collegiate — Joe Call — Chad Wilkes
South Pointe — DeVonte Holloman — TBA
Stall — Joe Bessinger — Benjamin Lailson
Strom Thurmond — Antwaun Hillary — Andrew Webb
Travelers Rest — Ray Gould — TBA
Westwood — Matt Quinn — TBA
Whitmire — Charlie Jenkins — TBA
This story was originally published February 24, 2022 at 9:55 PM.
