Former offensive lineman for Gamecocks hired to lead Chapin football program
Chapin High School is staying within the Midlands for its next head football coach.
Pelion football coach Cory Helms will be the Eagles’ next coach and 10th in program history. Helms replaces Ryan Cole, who stepped down after two seasons and is now the school’s assistant principal.
Helms was introduced at a press conference on Tuesday afternoon. The former standout offensive lineman at South Carolina, was a candidate at Chapin two years ago before the school hired Cole.
Helms said that Chapin was one of the top jobs he eyed when he got into coaching several years ago.
“This isn’t just a 5A job that is out there. This is one I have really wanted,” Helms said. “It has an opportunity to be special. It has got great people here, great resources and great community. The sky is the limit at a place like this. ... They are hungry for success.”
Helms has done a good job in turning programs around, and he will have work to do at Chapin. The Eagles are coming off an 0-10 season, the school’s first winless campaign since 1998. It was the first time the program missed the playoffs since the COVID year in 2020.
Helms’ ability to rebuild programs is something that stood out during the process, Chapin athletic director Billie Williams said at the press conference.
“We were looking for a coach to bring energy, structure and experience building programs and relationships with your people,” Williams said. “... Coach Helms brings a contagious passion for football, has energy that elevates everyone around him and has ability to build something special for our players.”
The Eagles will stay in Class 5A as part of the S.C. High School League’s 2026-28 realignment plan and will be in a region with Lexington, White Knoll, Dutch Fork and River Bluff. Dutch Fork has won nine state titles in the last 10 years, while Irmo has made back-to-back championship appearances and White Knoll played for a title in 2023.
“If you are a true competitor, that is what you want. That is a huge core value of our group is competing,” Helms said. “... I told the players today, I ain’t scared of nothing. I have taken over places that struggled and it doesn’t scare me. I love the challenge. It is fun.”
Helms spent last season at Pelion, where he led the Panthers to a 5-6 record and a trip to the Class 2A playoffs in his lone season. The five wins were the most for the program since 2014.
Helms told his Pelion players of the decision Tuesday morning and called it one of the toughest things he has had to do.
Before Pelion, Helms spent three seasons as head coach at Cardinal Newman, a private school in Columbia, and compiled a 16-18 record with three playoff appearances. The 16 wins were the most in a three-year span since the Cards won 18 from 1997-99.
Helms was an offensive line coach for three seasons at Gray Collegiate before landing his first head coaching job. He spent one year as a graduate assistant at USC after a brief stint in the NFL.
He signed with the New Orleans Saints as a free agent in 2018 and also was on the Cincinnati Bengals’ roster later that year, where he played in two preseason games.
Helms, a Georgia native, started his college career at Wake Forest before transferring to South Carolina. At USC, he made 46 starts combined at guard and center during his career.
Helms said he hopes to start at Chapin as soon as possible and will begin the process of hiring assistant coaches either on staff or bringing them into the program.
With Chapin’s hire, there are three openings left in the Midlands at White Knoll, A.C. Flora and Pelion. White Knoll is expected to bring the name of its next head coach for board approval at Tuesday night’s Lexington 1 school board meeting.
SC Football Coaching Openings
School — Former Coach — New Coach
AC Flora — Ken Floyd — TBA
Belton-Honea Path — Russell Blackston — TBA
Chapin — Ryan Cole — Cory Helms
Clover — Perry Woolright — TBA
Colleton County — Adam Kinloch — Bradley Adams
Conway — Josh Pierce — Jody Jenerette
Goose Creek — Jason Winstead — TBA
Green Sea Floyds — Patrick Martin — TBA
Lake Wylie — (School opens in 2026) — N/A — Nick Pelham
Liberty — Paul Sutherland — Bobby Ruff
McCormick — Leroy Collier — TBA
Marion — Brian Hennecy — TBA
May River — Richard Bonneville — TBA
Ninety-Six — Matthew Bennett — Austin Sargent
North Myrtle Beach — Greg Hill — Perry Woolbright
Pelion — Cory Helms — TBA
St. James — Tommy Norwood — Stephen Cagle
Sumter — Mark Barnes — TBA
Union County — Quinnon Isom — Bryan Robinson
Wagener-Salley — Blaze Gillespie — TBA
Whale Branch — Willie White (interim) — TBA
White Knoll — Nick Pelham — TBA
This story was originally published January 27, 2026 at 12:10 PM.
