Former Gamecock stepping down from Midlands state championship winning program

Cardinal Newman girls basketball coach Asia Dozier is stepping down after two championship seasons.

Dozier made the announcement Tuesday on Twitter.

“I am excited about all the opportunities that lie ahead as I further my coaching career,” Dozier wrote. “Huge thanks to my family friends, former coaches & mentors as well as everyone else that continually sports me in all my endeavors.”

Dozier told The State she is exploring different proposed options, possibly in college, but nothing is finalized yet.

Cardinal Newman athletic director Will Eudy said the school will post the opening and hopes to have a new coach in place before end of school. Pooh Abrams, Josh Holmes and men’s coach Phillip Deter will be overseeing the program until a new coach is found.

Dozier led the Cardinals to a pair of back-to-back SCISA Class 3A championships in her two seasons as coach after replacing Molly Moore. She also coached South Carolina signee and McDonald’s All-American Ashlyn Watkins the past two seasons.

Dozier was 33-6 in her two seasons as coach. This year, the Cardinals went 15-5 and won the SCISA 3A championship by defeating First Baptist 54-44 on Feb. 26.

Cardinal Newman was Dozier’s second head coaching opportunity. She coached one season at Legion Collegiate in Rock Hill before coming back to Columbia, where she was a high school and college standout.

Dozier was the S.C. Gatorade Player of the Year coming out of Spring Valley in 2012. She helped the Vikings to back-to-back state titles her final two years. At South Carolina, Dozier served as a team captain and finished sixth on the school record list for games played with 131. She holds the USC single-season record for games played with 37 in 2014-15.

Cardinal Newman is the fourth head coach vacancy this offseason in the Midlands.

Midlands basketball coaching changes

School — Former Coach — New Coach

Camden boys — Ron McKie — TBA

Cardinal Newman girls — Asia Dozier — TBA

Columbia boys — Casey Geter — TBA

Northside Christian boys — Jason Harman — TBA

Ridge View boys — Yerrick Stoneman — TBA

This story was originally published March 22, 2022 at 3:26 PM.

Lou Bezjak

The State

(803) 771-8419

Lou Bezjak is the High School Sports Prep Coordinator for The (Columbia) State and (Hilton Head) Island Packet. He previously worked at the Florence Morning News and had covered high school sports in South Carolina since 2002. Lou is a two-time South Carolina Sports Writer of the Year by the National Sports Media Association. Support my work with a digital subscription