Rusty Charpia won’t return as Brookland-Cayce football coach. Here’s what we know
Rusty Charpia won’t be back as Brookland-Cayce football coach next season.
School officials told Charpia of the decision on Thursday, according to a local athletics source with knowledge of the situation. The longtime coach and school athletic director retired two years ago but stayed on at B-C as a “hire-rehire” for the 2023-24 and 2024-25 school years.
Charpia’s job was posted publically both years by the district and the board approved his return this year. Charpia also applied to return next year . He was one of the six candidates who got first interviews for the position but didn’t make the cut for the second round, the source told The State.
Two applicants got second interviews, and a finalist is expected to be proposed to the Lexington 2 school board at a special-called meeting Monday. The agenda for the meeting will be posted just after midnight Saturday morning on the Lexington 2 website, a district spokesperson said.
Charpia has been the head football coach at B-C since 2011 and leaves as the school’s all-time winningest coach with 92 victories, including 16 postseason victories. He led the Bearcats to four region titles and three state semifinal appearances in 2016, 2017 and 2023. The 2016 region title was the program’s first since 2003. The 2016 team won a school-record 12 games.
Before Charpia’s arrival, the school hadn’t won a playoff game since 2004.
B-C had two 10-win seasons under Charpia after having one in school history before that. He also had been selected to coach in the North-South and Shrine Bowl.
The Bearcats went 4-7 this season and lost in the first round of the playoffs.
Charpia also was the school’s baseball coach for several seasons before stepping down last spring. Waccamaw assistant Matt Kline was hired to replace Charpia as baseball coach.
Under Charpia, the Bearcats baseball program won back-to-back region championships in 2022-23. B-C hadn’t won a region title since 2008 before that. The Bearcats were ranked No. 1 in state in 2023 and made it to the Class 3A Lower State championship that season.
Charpia, who played football and baseball at Clemson, also spent time working at Marlboro County, James Island, Woodland and in college at Arkansas and Georgia.
SC High School Football Openings
School — Former Coach — New Coach
Aiken — Dwayne Garrick — Steve Hibbitts
Brookland-Cayce — Rusty Charpia — TBA
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
Whale Branch — Jerry Hatcher — TBA
Wilson — Daryl Page (interim) — Brian Wilson
This story was originally published January 31, 2025 at 10:52 AM.
