River Bluff football coach surprisingly resigns after record-breaking season
Blair Hardin has resigned as football coach at River Bluff High School, a few months after leading the Gators to their best season in school history.
The school made the announcement Thursday afternoon. Hardin posted a message on social media with a statement.
Shortly after that, Hardin spoke with The State on the decision to step down.
“You get one opportunity to be a dad and I don’t want to miss that opportunity. I got three little girls who are under eight years old and it has gotten tougher and tougher,” Hardin said. “Coaching football is 12 months out of the year. I have had to neglect my girls and family for my passion, which is football. At this point and time, it hit me.
“I am at peace. I am happy. Everyone asked me, ‘Are you healthy?’ I am healthy as I ever been. I am not sick. I am just going to take a break coaching football and spend time with them. I know don’t know how long it will take.”
Hardin said he began thinking about stepping down a few months back and said he doesn’t have another job lined out. He plans on finishing this school year teaching and fulfilling his assistant athletic director duties.
The only coaching plans in his immediate future are for his daughter’s 8U softball team, he said. He grew up as the son of a coach and has been on the sideline with his dad or as a player — and later during his own coaching career — for more than 30 years.
Hardin was the second head coach in school history after taking over for David Bennett in 2017. He won 47 games and made six playoff appearances with the Gators. Overall, his career record is 130-63.
The team won a school-record 10 games this year and made it to the third round of the Class 5A Division I playoffs.
“River Bluff, I can’t put into words how phenomenal it is and how they have treated me,” Hardin said. “It has just been a positive impact on me and my family. It is such a special place.”
The school will begin a search immediately for his successor. River Bluff will be the ninth area school to have a new head coach next season.
“We sincerely appreciate Coach Hardin’s contributions to Gator football and the River Bluff community,” River Bluff principal Jacob Smith said in a statement. “Blair’s influence goes far beyond the scoreboard — his dedication to shaping the character and leadership of our student-athletes will leave a lasting mark on our school. He is a man of integrity, and his impact will be deeply missed.”
With River Bluff open, this means both Lexington and the Gators will have new coaches. The Wildcats named Stewart Young their new coach last week.
Before River Bluff, Hardin was at North Myrtle Beach for three seasons and led the Chiefs to a school-record 11 victories and advanced to the Class 4A Lower State semifinals before losing to Chapin.
Hardin also was head coach at Porter Ridge and Freedom High, both in North Carolina.
SC high school football openings
School — Former Coach — New Coach
Aiken — Dwayne Garrick — Steve Hibbitts
Allendale-Fairfax — Tristain Armstrong — Travis Lewis
Brookland-Cayce — Rusty Charpia — Louis Clyburn
Cardinal Newman — Cory Helms — TBA
First Baptist —Jamaal Birch — Kevin Mapp
Gaffney — Dan Jones — Donnie Littlejohn
Greenville — Jaybo Shaw — Steve Watson
JL Mann — Steve Watson — Bryce Smiley
Keenan — Ray McCleod — Jarrett Neely
Kingstree — Brian Smith — TBA
Laurence Manning — Robbie Briggs — Jimmy Noonan
Lexington — Dustin Curtis — Stewart Young
Midland Valley — Earl Chaptman — Brent Dorn
Nation Ford — Michael Allen — Jake Bentley
Oceanside Collegiate — John Patterson (interim) — Brent LaPrad
Orangeburg Prep — Don Shelley — Brooks Smith
Pelion — Dann Holland — Cory Helms
Porter-Gaud — Brad Bowles — TBA
River Bluff — Blair Hardin — TBA
Saluda — Stewart Young — TBA
Southside — Roy Ravenell — TBA
Southside Christian — Mike Sonneborn — Jonathan Gess
Spring Valley — Nygel Pearson — TBA
Trinity Collegiate — Jared Amell — TBA
Westwood — Rob O’Connell — TBA
West Ashley — Donnie Kiefer — Rashad Graham
West Florence — Jody Jenerette — Chad Wilkes
Whale Branch — Jerry Hatcher — TBA
Wilson — Daryl Page (interim) — Brian Wilson
This story was originally published February 6, 2025 at 4:48 PM.
