Batesburg-Leesville hired its next football coach one week after an abrupt resignation
Batesburg-Leesville found its replacement for a new football coach.
The school announced Greg Lawson will take over the Panthers’ program. He replaces Gene Cathcart, who resigned last week after being hired in January. School officials said in a release that Cathcart resigned for personal reasons.
Lawson was brought on by Cathcart to be his offensive coordinator. He spent the past three years as an assistant coach at Conway High school, but has previous head coaching experience.
Lawson was head coach at Class A Hemingway from 2015-17 and was 25-12 during his tenure there. The Tigers went 11-1 in 2017 and made it to the Class A semifinals.
Lawson also was interim basketball coach for a year and led the Tigers to the 2017-18 state championship against Ridge Spring-Monetta.
Before Hemingway, Lawson was head coach at Laurens from 2007-2013 and finished with an overall record of 83-64. He also was part of eight state championship victories as an assistant at Gaffney and Union high schools.
As an assistant, Lawson coached under hall-of-fame coaches Phil Strickland, Shell Dula and Mike Anthony.
Batesburg-Leesville was one of seven football openings in the Midlands, and all have 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 — Greg Lawson
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
