Just-hired Batesburg-Leesville coach already leaving. Here’s what we know
Gene Cathcart’s tenure at Batesburg-Leesville High School is over long before he coached a football game.
Cathcart was approved as B-L’s new coach Jan. 11 and was set to replace Gary Adams. The school, however, is already looking for a new coach, The State confirmed with a source with knowledge of the coaching search.
Exactly why Cathcart is already out as the Panthers’ coach wasn’t immediately known. The school has reached out to potential candidates for the job, The State confirmed.
Messages left for Batesburg-Leesville’s athletic director and the Lexington 3 school district were not immediately returned. Cathcart took the Batesburg-Leesville helmet off his Twitter profile picture.
After being named coach on Jan. 11, Cathcart spoke at a press conference held at the school two days later.
“We are going to do great and mighty things,” Cathcart said then. “... I am excited to be coming to such a special place where football is important and is a great blend of academics as well.”
Cathcart was at Jefferson High in Georgia since 2015 and was promoted to head coach in 2017. He led Jefferson to the 2020 Class 4A state championship game and was 51-11 during his tenure there, which included two other trips to the state quarterfinals.
Before Jefferson, Cathcart was head coach at Greenwood and Seneca high schools in South Carolina. He was Greenwood’s head coach from 2009-13 and led the Eagles to three straight Class 4A Division II state championship games, winning it all in 2012.
Cathcart left Greenwood to take over at Seneca in 2014 and was 9-3 in his one season there as head coach.
Prior to his stops in South Carolina, Cathcart has coached at Habersham Central in Georgia. He led the Raiders to a 40-27 record, two of the school’s five region championships (2006-07) and back-to-back state quarterfinal appearances.
Cathcart also was an assistant coach at Presbyterian College, Pickens, Manning and Daniel high schools.
Batesburg-Leesville was one of seven football openings in the Midlands and all have since been filled. The Panthers went 3-4 this season, finished fourth in Region 3-2A and had missed some games because of COVID-19. B-L lost in the first round of the playoffs.
The Panthers will be moving into Region 3-2A next year in the SC High School League realignment with Fox Creek, Pelion, Silver Bluff, Strom Thurmond and Saluda.
Batesburg-Leesville is one of Midlands’ most historic programs. They have won seven state championships with the last coming in 2013 under Jerry Brown. B-L’s last state championship appearance came in 2017 with current Lexington coach Perry Woolbright.
SC high school football coaching changes
Midlands-area schools in bold.
School — Former Coach — New Coach
AC Flora — Dustin Curtis — Ken Floyd
Airport — Kirk Burnett — Andre Cook
Bamberg-Ehrhardt — Robert Williams — Corey Crosby
Batesburg-Leesville — Gary Adams — Gene Cathcart — TBA
Ben Lippen — Stephen Cagle — Bennett Weigle
Bethune Bowman — Glen Darby — Cody McNeal
Blackville-Hilda — Brandon Isaac — TBA
Bluffton — John Houpt— Hayden Gregory
Boiling Springs — Rick Tate — Matt Reel
Dorman — Dave Guttshall — Dustin Curtis
Dreher — Treigh Sullivan — Corey Jenkins
Hemingway — Charlie Richards — Byron Abram
Hilton Head Prep — Dave Adams — Dustin Etheridge
Lamar — Chad Wilkes — Josh Pierce
Lewisville — Will Mitchell — Leon Boulware
Newberry — Phil Strickland — Cedrick Jeter
North Augusta — Jim Bob Bryant — Matt Quinn
North Myrtle Beach — Matt Reel — Greg Hill
Oceanside Collegiate — Joe Call — Chad Wilkes
South Pointe — DeVonte Holloman — Bobby Collins
Stall — Joe Bessinger — Benjamin Lailson
Strom Thurmond — Antwaun Hillary — Andrew Webb
Travelers Rest — Ray Gould — Michael Lancaster
Westwood — Matt Quinn — Robert O’Connell
Whitmire — Charlie Jenkins — Andrew Miller
This story was originally published March 24, 2022 at 4:53 PM.
