Airport High School hires new football coach from Charleston area
The last high school football job opening in the Midlands has been filled.
Airport hired Ashley Ridge’s Shane Fidler as its next football coach. Fidler’s hire was approved at Tuesday’s Lexington 2 School Board meeting. He also will be the school’s athletic director.
WCIV’s Scott Eisberg reported Tuesday that Fidler was leaving Ashley Ridge for another in-state opportunity. He had told his team of his departure Tuesday afternoon.
Fidler replaces Andre Cook, who left last month after one season to become the head coach at Mauldin High School.
Fidler has been at Ashley Ridge, a Class 5A school, for the past three seasons. Ashley Ridge went 7-4 this season and 14-14 during his tenure.
Before Ashley Ridge, Fidler coached at Waccamaw for three years. The Braves were 1-9 when he arrived but went 7-4 in his final season and lost to Dillon in the first round of the Class 3A playoffs.
Fidler also spent time as an assistant coach at Colleton County, Eau Claire in Columbia and Gray Military Academy before it joined the SC High School League and became Gray Collegiate.
In 2019, Shane Fidler was one of the 35 coaches to be named to the 2019 American Football Coaches Association 35 Under 35 Coaches Leadership Institute. He was one of two high school coaches invited to attend the program.
Airport went 2-8 this season and missed the playoffs. The Eagles’ last winning season came in 2019 when they went 9-4.
Fidler’s hire gives the Columbia-area eight new football coaches for the 2023 season with the others Blythewood, Columbia, Eau Claire, Heathwood Hall, Lexington, North Central and Spring Valley.
SC High School Football openings
School — Former School — New Coach
Aiken — Olajuwon Paige — Dwayne Garrick
Airport — Andre Cook — Shane Fidler Ashley Ridge — Shane Fidler — TBA Beaufort Academy — Mark Clifford — Nic Shuford Barnwell — Dwayne Garrick — Brian Smith Battery Creek — Terrance Ashe —TBA Berea — Julius Prince — Drew Chisholm Berkeley — Jerry Brown — Eric Lodge Blythewood — Jason Seidel — James Martin Clover — Brian Lane — Perry Woolbright Colleton County — Kris Howell — Adam Kinloch Columbia — Jason Bush — Stephen Roberson Conway — Carlton Terry — Josh Pierce Darlington — Raymond Jennings — Jamie Johnson Dillon Christian — Christian Wolfe — Donell Stanley
Dorman — Dustin Curtis — Jake Morris Eau Claire — Shaq Hilton — Demarcus Simons Edisto — Preston Deaver — TBA First Baptist — Johnny Waters — Jamaal Birch
Georgetown — Jimmy Noonan — Bradley Adams
Great Falls — DeMarcus Simons — TBA Green Sea Floyds — Joey Price — Patrick Martin Hanahan — Art Craig — Milan Turner
Hannah-Pamplico — Jamie Johnson — Trey Woodberry Heathwood Hall — Danny Lewis — Rick Reetz Hillcrest — Anthony Frate — Bennett Swygert John Paul II — Chris Myers — Shayne Milligan Lamar — Josh Pierce — Stephen Burris Landrum — Jason Farmer — Brent Bridges Lexington — Perry Woolbright — Dustin Curtis Mauldin — Sayre Nesmith — Andre Cook May River — Rodney Summers — Richard Bonneville Mullins — John Williams — TBA
Ninety-Six — Matthew Owings — Matthew Bennett North Central — Ryan McDonnell (interim) — Daniel Sisk North Charleston — Devon Smalls — TBA Northwood Academy — Armando Allen — Johnny Waters Orangeburg Prep — Andy Palmer — Don Shelley Palmetto — Doug Shaw — Ryan Norton Pickens — Chad Smith — James Reynolds Pinewood Prep — J.W. Myers — DeVonte Holloman Ridge-Spring Monetta — Brian Smith — TBA Spring Valley — Robin Bacon — Nygel Pearson Thomas Heyward — Nic Shuford — Tony McGeary
Walhalla — Padgett Johnson — Chris Stone Ware Shoals — Chris Johnston — Chris Dodson Westside — Scott Earley — Brian Lane Williamsburg Academy — Don Shelley — Tyler Boyd Woodmont — Jeff Murdock — Ty Sutherland Woodruff — Bradley Adams — Brett Sloan Wren — Jeff Tate — Anthony Frate
