Lexington hires state championship-winning coach to lead football program
Stewart Young was ready for the next challenge in his coaching career.
The 41-year-old spent the last 21 years as part of the Saluda High football program, dating back to his student teaching days. Young has been Saluda’s head coach for the last 11 years. He led the Tigers to the most successful stretch in school history since Bettis Herlong and Mooney Player coached there in the 1950s and 1960s.
But Young was searching for the next step in his career, and that led him to Lexington High School. He was introduced as the school’s new head football coach Wednesday afternoon.
“This is a surreal moment for me,” Young said. “It was tough to leave. I genuinely loved that place, those kids and that community. To make a move from there was an emotional decision, emotional consequences that went along with it. But the challenge to do something different was a huge draw.”
Young informed his Saluda players early Wednesday morning of the decision and said both he and players shed tears during their meeting. He helped build the Tigers to one of the top Class 2A programs in the state. Now, he will try to return Lexington to the top of 5A, the state’s biggest classification.
“The opportunity to be at Lexington in this time in my career is one that I couldn’t turn down,” Young said. “It is a prestigious football program, school and community. .... I look forward to continue to build on the success here at Lexington and take it to greater heights. The potential is here for us to win and win big.”
Young replaces Dustin Curtis, a Lexington alum who announced in December he was stepping down after two seasons. Curtis will remain as the school’s athletic director. The Lexington 1 school district is splitting all of its athletic director and football coaching jobs by the end of the 2025-26 school year.
In Young’s 11 seasons as Saluda head coach, the Tigers had one season under .500 once during his tenure and won more than 10 games in a season five times.
Young led Saluda to its first state championship since Player did it 1963 when the Tigers defeated Barnwell, 39-14, to win the 2019 Class 2A title. The Tigers had been close to a championship before that, losing in the state semifinals three straight times from 2015-16.
“It means everything,” Young said after the game. “We are going to have a party tonight like they ain’t never had before in Saluda. I’m going to tell you that.”
Young went 93-37 at Saluda, won a pair of region championships and was the state coach of the year in 2019.
Young’s resume stood out during the hiring process, Curtis said. He was one of three finalists for the Lexington job.
In making his first big hire since becoming athletic director, Curtis said he leaned on district AD Chad Leaphart, who was familiar with Young from his coaching days at Strom Thurmond, Swansea and Gilbert.
“If Chad Leaphart thinks he is a good fit, then that is good enough for me,” Curtis said. “I think Coach Young will mean a lot for this program and community. ... I think Coach Young is the complete package and ultimately came out as the best candidate and right fit for Lexington.”
Young will probably juggle duties at Saluda before coming to Lexington full-time. He plans to meet with his coaching staff over the next few days and is likely to bring some of them into the Wildcats’ program.
Lexington went 5-6 this past season and lost in the first round of the Class 5A Division I playoffs. The Wildcats have won six or more games in 10 of the last 12 seasons and made the postseason in 11 of the last 12 years.
The Wildcats compete Region 4-5A, arguably the top region in the state with powerhouse Dutch Fork, Irmo, White Knoll, River Bluff and Chapin.
Young is familiar going against top programs while at Saluda, facing the likes of Abbeville, Strom Thurmond, Batesburg-Leesville and Silver Bluff.
With Young’s hire, there are three area teams without a head football coach — Cardinal Newman, Saluda and Spring Valley.
SC High School Football Openings
School — Former Coach — New Coach
Aiken — Dwayne Garrick — Steve Hibbitts
Cardinal Newman — Cory Helms — TBA
First Baptist —Jamaal Birch — TBA
Gaffney — Dan Jones — Donnie Littlejohn
Greenville — Jaybo Shaw — Steve Watson
JL Mann — Steve Watson — TBA
Keenan — Ray McCleod — Jarrett Neely (interim)
Kingstree — Brian Smith — TBA
Laurence Manning — Robbie Briggs — TBA
Lexington — Dustin Curtis — Stewart Young
Midland Valley — Earl Chaptman — Brent Dorn
Nation Ford — Michael Allen — Jake Bentley
Oceanside Collegiate — Chad Wilkes — John Patterson (interim)
Pelion — Dann Holland — Cory Helms
Porter-Gaud — Brad Bowles — TBA
Saluda — Stewart Young — TBA
Southside — Roy Ravenell — TBA
Southside Christian — Mike Sonneborn — TBA
Spring Valley — Nygel Pearson — TBA
West Ashley — Donnie Kiefer — TBA
West Florence — Jody Jenerette — Chad Wilkes
Wilson — Daryl Page (interim) — Brian Wilson
This story was originally published January 29, 2025 at 9:05 AM.
