Airport High football coach leaving his job for administrative position at area school
The Airport football program will be looking for a new head coach as spring practice approaches.
Shane Fidler is leaving Airport High School. He told the team of his decision on Friday afternoon. Fidler is also the school’s athletic director.
“My wife has become a principal and it is now difficult for our family with a young child to handle all of the roles assigned to me, so it is in the best interest of our Airport Football players that I step aside,” Fidler said in a statement provided to The State. “I am confident that Principal Matt Schilit, Superintendent Dr. Brenda Hafner and Deputy Superintendent Matt Warren will find an outstanding candidate to lead these young men. Airport Football and Athletics are in a great place and I am excited to watch them excel to the next level. I thank everyone for my time here and am appreciative of the support we received while being Airport Eagles.”
Fidler is headed to White Knoll to become the school’s athletic director. That move became official at the Lexington 1 school board meeting on April 22.
Fidler replaces Nick Pelham in the role. Pelham would remain as White Knoll head football coach but give up AD duties.
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. White Knoll was the final high school in the district to split the two positions.
“I look forward to joining the great leadership in Lexington One, working for Mr. Pearson and serving the White Knoll community,” Fidler told The State on April 22.
Fidler leaves Airport after two seasons. The Eagles were 7-15 in his time there, including 2-9 in 2024.
Before Airport, Fidler was head coach at Ashley Ridge (2020-22) and Waccamaw (2017-19). Under Fidler, Ashley Ridge went 7-4 in 2022. At Waccamaw, the team was 1-9 before he arrived but went 7-4 in his final season.
The Eagles are looking for their third coach in the last four seasons after having just one coach (Kirk Burnett) from 2004-2021. Spring practice begins next month for teams across the state.
Airport has a young nucleus of players led by all region selections freshman quarterback Delreco Eady, T/DE Ben Humphries and DE Daniel Butts.
With the Airport opening, that leaves the Eagles and CA Johnson without head coaches. CAJ has started interviews to try and replace Scotty Dean. It also means both Lexington 2 high schools will have new coaches. Louis Clyburn replaced Rusty Charpia at Brookland-Cayce earlier this year.
In all, there will be 12 new coaches in the area next season.
SC football Coaching Openings
School — Former Coach — New Coach
Academic Magnet — Mitch White — Austin Miller
Aiken — Dwayne Garrick — Steve Hibbitts
Airport — Shane Fidler — TBA
Allendale-Fairfax — Tristain Armstrong — Travis Lewis
American Leadership — Robin Bacon — Kemper Amick
Brookland-Cayce — Rusty Charpia — Louis Clyburn
CA Johnson — Scotty Dean — TBA
Cardinal Newman — Cory Helms — Jared Shaw
Daniel — Jeff Fruster — 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
Lamar — Stephen Burris — Tyler Boyd
Landrum — Brent Bridges — 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 — Matt Neighbors
River Bluff — Blair Hardin — Perry Parks
Rock Hill — Randy Birch — TBA
Saluda — Stewart Young — Greg Woerner
Southside — Roy Ravenell — AJ Millis
Southside Christian — Mike Sonneborn — Jonathan Gess
Spring Valley — Nygel Pearson — Norman Washington
Trinity Collegiate — Jared Amell — Shawn Fagan
Westwood — Rob O’Connell — Stephen Burris
West Ashley — Donnie Kiefer — Rashad Graham
West Florence — Jody Jenerette — Chad Wilkes
Whale Branch — Jerry Hatcher — TBA
Wilson — Daryl Page (interim) — Brian Wilson
Woodmont — Ty Sutherland — Malcolm Boyd
This story was originally published April 11, 2025 at 3:50 PM.
