He coached Alshon Jeffery. Now Columbia native takes over CA Johnson football program
Walt Wilson is headed back home to Columbia for his next coaching stop.
Wilson was named the new football coach at C.A. Johnson on Wednesday, the school announced. He replaces Stephen Roberson, who left in January for a job at Purnell Swett High in North Carolina. C.A. Johnson was the lone football opening in the Midlands this year.
Wilson, a standout defensive tackle at Eau Claire High School and spent the last three seasons at Battery Creek head coach in Beaufort. He went 9-21 in his tenure there and led the Dolphins to the playoffs in all three seasons.
“I look at what coach Roberson has done and has I see a lot of potential and opportunity to be successful at C.A. Johnson,” said Wilson, who just turned 51 years old. “There is great leadership at the school and I see a lot of potential.”
Wilson was a standout defensive tackle at Eau Claire and played at against CA Johnson during his high school career. After high school, he signed with East Carolina before finishing his career at SC State. His coaching resume includes assistant jobs at Blackville-Hilda, Sumter and Irmo and also was head coach at Kingstree and Calhoun County.
Wilson is known for his time at Calhoun County where he won four region titles in seven seasons and coached former Gamecock great and current Philadephia Eagles receiver Alshon Jeffery, among others. He remains in touch with Jeffery on a regular basis, and the former Gamecock flew his high school coach to Super Bowl 52 in 2018.
Jeffery had three catches for 73 yards and a touchdown to help the Philadelphia Eagles defeat New England Patriots 41-33.
Wilson sees a lot of similarities between Calhoun County and CA Johnson. The Hornets went 4-7 and made it to the Class 2A playoffs this season. CA Johnson is moving back to Class A this year as part of the S.C. High School League’s 2020-22 realignment and will play in newly-refurbished Bolden Stadium.
The Hornets haven’t had a winning season since 2009, when they went 7-4 and lost in the first round of the playoffs to Calhoun County, which was coached by Wilson.
“I have been blessed to coach all-american kids like Alshon but also coached kids that went on to be doctors, lawyers and engineers,” Wilson said. “It has been a great road and I look forward to helping develop these young men, teach them about life and that every day might not be sunny but it is how you react and respond to get through it.”
Wilson already has watched game film on last year’s C.A. Johnson team. The next big step is getting a chance to meet his players. High schools in South Carolina have been closed since the middle of March because of the coronavirus. It hasn’t been determined when or if schools will reopen this year.
Coaches are allowed to talk to players virtually and lead them in workouts as long as they don’t gather together. Wilson said he will do his best to be in communication with his current players and be hands on with Perry Middle School, which feeds into C.A. Johnson
“I am going to be real involved with the feeder school,” Wilson said. “The ones there at C.A. Johnson know what it takes and are committed. It is a matter to make sure we keep other kids that should be there.”
This story was originally published April 15, 2020 at 11:00 AM.
