High School Sports

Andre Cook leaving Airport football for another in-state head coaching job

Airport football coach Andre Cook
Airport football coach Andre Cook Lou Bezjak/The State

Airport football coach Andre Cook is on the move.

Cook is leaving the school after one season to become the head football coach at Mauldin. He also was Airport’s athletic director.

Mauldin made the hire official on Monday morning.

“I’d like to thank principal Peake and coach Maciejewski for the opportunity to lead the football program at Mauldin High School,” Cook said in a statement. “My family and I are looking forward to growing with the Mauldin community and extremely excited to be a part of school culture where excellence is standard.”

Cook replaces Sayre Nesmith, who resigned in February after three seasons. Mauldin is a Class 5A program located in the Greenville School District.

Airport principal Matt Schilit tweeted Sunday about the school’s opening.

“Airport High will soon be looking for our next Athletic Director and Head Football Coach. The position will be posted on the Lex 2 site. I look forward to meeting some game changing leaders. @AHS_Leads is a special place to be. Go Eagles!! #ProudPrincipal,” Schlitt posted.

Cook went 2-8 this season with the Eagles and missed the postseason. Airport was Cook’s first head coaching job. He replaced Kirk Burnett, a former standout player and coach at Airport who is a member of the school’s Hall of Fame.

Before Airport, Cook was an assistant at River Bluff from 2017-2021. He also was an assistant coach at Fairfield Central from 2015-17 and was at Blythewood from 2009-15. He began his coaching career in North Mecklenburg in Charlotte in 2004 and coached at two other NC high schools.

Mauldin went 2-9 last season and lost in the first round of the Class 5A playoffs to state champion Dutch Fork.

SC High School Football openings

School — Former School — New Coach

  • Aiken — Olajuwon Paige — Dwayne Garrick

  • Airport — Andre Cook — TBA
  • Beaufort Academy — Mark Clifford — Nic Shuford
  • Barnwell — Dwayne Garrick — TBA
  • Berea — Julius Prince — Drew Chisholm
  • Berkeley — Jerry Brown — Eric Lodge
  • Clover — Brian Lane — Perry Woolbright
  • Colleton County — Kris Howell — Adam Kinloch
  • Columbia — Jason Bush — TBA
  • Conway — Carlton Terry — Josh Pierce
  • Darlington — Raymond Jennings — Jamie Johnson
  • Dillon Christian — Christian Wolfe — Donell Stanley

  • Dorman — Dustin Curtis — Jake Morris
  • Eau Claire — Shaq Hilton — Demarcus Simons
  • Edisto — Preston Deaver — TBA
  • First Baptist — Johnny Waters — Jamaal Birch

  • Georgetown — Jimmy Noonan — Bradley Adams

  • Great Falls — DeMarcus Simons — TBA
  • Green Sea Floyds — Joey Price — Patrick Martin
  • Hanahan — Art Craig — Milan Turner

  • Hannah-Pamplico — Jamie Johnson — Trey Woodberry
  • Heathwood Hall — Danny Lewis — Rick Reetz
  • Hillcrest — Anthony Frate — Bennett Swygert
  • Lamar — Josh Pierce — TBA
  • Landrum — Jason Farmer — Brent Bridges
  • Lexington — Perry Woolbright — Dustin Curtis
  • Mauldin — Sayre Nesmith — Andre Cook
  • May River — Rodney Summers — Richard Bonneville
  • Mullins — John Williams — TBA

  • Ninety-Six — Matthew Owings — Matthew Bennett
  • North Central — Ryan McDonnell (interim) — Daniel Sisk
  • North Charleston — Devon Smalls — TBA
  • Northwood Academy — Armando Allen — Johnny Waters
  • Orangeburg Prep — Andy Palmer — Don Shelley
  • Palmetto — Doug Shaw — Ryan Norton
  • Pickens — Chad Smith — James Reynolds
  • Pinewood Prep — J.W. Myers — DeVonte Holloman
  • Spring Valley — Robin Bacon — Nygel Pearson
  • Thomas Heyward — Nic Shuford — Tony McGeary

  • Walhalla — Padgett Johnson — Chris Stone
  • Ware Shoals — Chris Johnston — Chris Dodson
  • Westside — Scott Earley — Brian Lane
  • Williamsburg Academy — Don Shelley — Tyler Boyd
  • Woodmont — Jeff Murdock — Ty Sutherland
  • Woodruff — Bradley Adams — Brett Sloan
  • Wren — Jeff Tate — Anthony Frate

    • This story was originally published March 19, 2023 at 5:26 PM.

    Profile Image of Lou Bezjak
    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
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