‘I enjoyed it all.’ Hall of Fame Midlands basketball coach headed to retirement
Faye Norris, one of the state’s top girls basketball coaches, is retiring after more than 30 years in the sport.
Norris has been at Dutch Fork High School since 2008 and led the Silver Foxes to three straight Class 4A state championships from 2012-14. She also coached McDonald’s All-American Alaina Coates, who was part of two of those championship teams before going to play at South Carolina.
Dutch Fork went 86-10 over those three seasons, including a 29-0 record in 2012-13.
“I enjoyed it all,” Norris told The State. “As a teacher-coach, you touch athletes’ lives and the lives of the students you have taught. I will genuinely miss being at Dutch Fork High School.”
Norris’ teams appeared in seven state semifinal games and won 12 region championships.
Dutch Fork went 14-10 this season and advanced to the second round of the Class 5A playoffs.
Before Dutch Fork, Norris also coached at North Augusta. She still lives in the Augusta area and said driving back and forth to Irmo each day took a toll on her through the years.
“This year I knew it was time to get off the long road,” Norris said. “God has blessed me to travel back and forth for 15 years. I will miss Dutch Fork overall, from my players to the parents, guardians, classroom students to my coworkers, and my administration to the school district.”
“My physical education department friends are phenomenal. I will miss the work we shared. Coaching, we are all coaches in life. Coaching will always be a part of my life. Records are good to know, yet improving lives is the best.”
Norris has won more than 500 games in her career and was inducted into the South Carolina Basketball Coaches Hall of Fame in 2019. She also has been the head coach in the Carolinas Classic and North-South basketball all-star games
As a player, Norris also had a distinguished career at Aiken High and then in college at USC Aiken. She helped the Green Hornets to state championship in 1975 and played at USC Aiken, where she was the school’s first All-American in 1979 and the only women’s basketball player to have her jersey retired.
Dutch Fork is the fifth basketball opening in the Midlands so far. Blythewood and Northside Christian already have filled their girls basketball coaching vacancies.
Midlands high school basketball openings
Boys Basketball
School — Former Coach — New Coach
Heathwood Hall — Jeff Whalen — TBA
White Knoll — Darrick Cureton — TBA
Girls Basketball
Blythewood — Steve Inabinet — Emily McElveen
Dutch Fork — Faye Norris — TBA
Northside Christian — Kristen Fortenberry — Jordan Leath
