Blythewood High School promotes defensive coordinator to head football coach role
Blythewood High School has its new football coach.
The Bengals promoted defensive coordinator James Martin to be the school’s new coach. The move was approved Tuesday at the Richland 2 school board meeting. Martin is the eighth coach in school history. Blythewood’s first year of football was in 2006.
Martin replaces Jason Seidel, who was dismissed March 1 after five seasons. No reason was given for Seidel’s dismissal. The Bengals were coming off their first region championship since 2012 and won 10 games.
Under Martin, Blythewood (10-2) had one of the top defenses in the state and allowed just 132 points — 11 per game this year. The Bengals had three shutouts, including their first-round playoff game against Boiling Springs.
This will be Martin’s third head coaching opportunity. He was head coach at Northwestern High in Rock Hill from 2017-18.
Martin took over on an interim basis at Northwestern in October 2017 after David Pierce was fired and was named full-time coach after the 2017 season. According to the Rock Hill Herald, Martin resigned in April of 2019 after a school board investigation into parents’ complaints about weightlifting regimens. He was not accused of any wrongdoing and remained at the school as a teacher.
Martin was 9-9 as a head coach for the Trojans.
Prior to being named head coach, he served as defensive coordinator beginning in 2012 and was part of two Trojan state championship teams in 2013 and 2015.
Martin’s first head coaching job came at South Mecklenburg High School in Charlotte from 2006-2011. He led South Mecklenburg to the 2008 Class 4A semifinals.
The Bengals return several key players from last year, including defensive lineman Edward Robinson and quarterback Harrison Collins. Robinson set the school’s single-season sack record.
Blythewood’s hire leaves Airport as the only Midlands high school without a football coach. Airport is starting interviews this week to replace Andre Cook, who left to become the Mauldin coach.
SC High School Football openings
School — Former School — New Coach
Aiken — Olajuwon Paige — Dwayne Garrick
Airport — Andre Cook — 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
