Mid-Carolina High School hires its next football coach. Here’s what to know
The final high school football opening in the Midlands has been filled.
Mid-Carolina has hired Jody Haltiwanger as its new football coach. The move was approved at Newberry County School Board meeting on Monday. Haltiwanger replaces Chris Arnoult, who stepped down but will remain as the school’s athletic director.
Haltiwanger has been a longtime assistant at Chapin High School, where he was an offensive coordinator for more than a decade. He was an assistant coach in the 2023 Touchstone Energy Cooperatives Bowl.
Haltiwanger spent this season as an assistant with Arnoult at M-C.
“I’m really excited for the opportunity. I worked for coach Arnoult last year and really enjoyed working with those kids,” Haltiwanger told The State. “I am a Newberry County native and actually live in Prosperity (where M-C is located), so it was a natural fit. It’s hard leaving Chapin after being here so long, but I’m looking forward to a new challenge.”
Mid-Carolina’s football history
Mid-Carolina is coming off of a 4-7 season and finished in a tie for Region 3-2A championship with a 3-1 conference record. It was the first part of a region championship for the program since 1991.
The Rebels lost in the first round of the playoffs but have made the postseason four straight years. M-C’s last postseason win was in 2011.
Mid-Carolina will stay in Class 2A as part of the 2026-28 S.C. High School League realignment and be in Region 3 with Andrew Jackson, Chester, Columbia, Keenan, Newberry and York Prep (which doesn’t play football).
Haltiwanger’s hire means there will be five new coaches in the area next year, including at AC Flora, Chapin, Pelion and White Knoll.
SC Football Coaching Openings
School — Former Coach — New Coach
AC Flora — Ken Floyd — Willie Offord
Belton-Honea Path — Russell Blackston — David Crane
Chapin — Ryan Cole — Cory Helms
Chester — Victor Floyd — Jerry Caldwell
Clover — Perry Woolright — Bennett Swygert
Colleton County — Adam Kinloch — Bradley Adams
Conway — Josh Pierce — Jody Jenerette
Goose Creek — Jason Winstead — Jamie Fordham
Green Sea Floyds — Patrick Martin — Ty Southerland
Hillcrest — Bennett Swygert — Amos Lamb
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 — Stephen Nimmer
Mid-Carolina — Chris Arnoult — Jody Haltiwanger
Ninety-Six — Matthew Bennett — Austin Sargent
North Myrtle Beach — Greg Hill — Perry Woolbright
Pelion — Cory Helms — Matthew Bennett
Seneca — David Crane — Drec Ellis
South Florence — Drew Marlowe — Scott Braswell
St. James — Tommy Norwood — Stephen Cagle
Sumter — Mark Barnes — Drew Marlowe
Timberland — Greg Wright — TBA
Union County — Quinnon Isom — Bryan Robinson
Wagener-Salley — Blaze Gillespie — E’Mond Brown
This story was originally published March 24, 2026 at 1:45 PM.
