Bennett to step down as River Bluff football coach

David Bennett will be stepping down as River Bluff football coach at the end of the season.

Bennett has accepted the job for the newly-created position as Lexington 1 athletics director. He will begin the new job July 1 and stay on as Gators’ coach for the year.

After the season, the school will hire a new football coach/athletic director to replace him. River Bluff assistant athletic director Gary Smallen will be the school’s interim athletic director this year.

“I am going to be part of so many people’s lives it will be rewarding,” Bennett said. “Like I told my players, I’m not going anywhere and look forward to working the all the students and coaches in the district.”

With his new job, Bennett said “he won’t be stuck in an office all day” and looks forward to being heavily involved with the 25,000 students in the district and developing programs on work ethic, sportsmanship and character.

Bennett also will work with the district’s coaches as far as facilities and other upgrades.

“I went into the interview a few weeks ago and outlined my vision for the job,” Bennett said. “I told them my vision is that I am not going to be sitting in the office all the time. Some of things I want to do is take those high school student-athletes and get them in the elementary and middle schools and talking with the kids. After the interview, they called back and said our vision matches your vision.”

Bennett was the AD at Socastee High School for a year before heading to River Bluff when the school opened in 2013. He went 22-11 in his three seasons as Gators’ football coach. One of the highlights of his tenure at River Bluff when it defeated No. 1 Goose Creek in the 2014 Class 4A Division I playoffs. It was the first time in state history a No. 16 seed beat a No. 1 seed.

Before that, Bennett was the head football coach Division II Catawba and then was the first football coach in Coastal Carolina history. He went 63-39 at CCU and led the Chanticleers to the playoffs in the school’s fourth season.

This story was originally published June 20, 2016 at 9:29 PM with the headline "Bennett to step down as River Bluff football coach."