Ashley Hall has few changes in 2024

David Shelton • July 23, 2024

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Charleston – There has not been a lot of turnover among the Ashley Hall coaching staff over the years but change is going to happen sometimes.

For many years, the athletic coaching roster at Ashley Hall was full of names that had been with the school for decades. Things have changed a bit in recent years as coaches have moved into retirement but there remains one constant.

Athletic director and volleyball coach Franny Slay is closing on 40 years at the school, and even more than that if you include her time as an athlete.

Slay is set to begin her 40th year as the volleyball coach at Ashley Hall in 2024, a tenure that includes 32 years as the athletic director. Slay’s importance to the volleyball program as well as the athletic program cannot be understated.

In volleyball, the coach has amassed a career record of 839-350 heading into the 2024 season. That record includes 12 SCISA state championships and 10 state runner-up trophies. She also led the school to four championships (1988. 1989, 1991, 1993) in the Palmetto Athletic Conference prior to the school joining SCISA.

But volleyball is far from the only successful sport at Ashley Hall. Under Slay’s guidance, Ashley Hall has won several state titles in cross country, track, and tennis while also competing at a state level in swimming, lacrosse, soccer, golf, sailing, archery and equestrian.

Slay recently a few coaching changes for the upcoming 2024-25 school year. While the spring sports coaching roster is still being finalized, Slay has her fall sports coaching staff in place for 2024.

Returning as the assistant athletic director is Christian Alcantara, who also coaches the soccer team in the spring.

A new coach in golf this fall is Paige Crafton, with Kevin Lyden serving as an assistant.

Cassidy Rindge returns for her second season as the swim coach and she is assisted by Missee Fox.

Charlotte Hartsock will again lead the tennis program. The Panthers won the state title in 2022 and was the state runner-up last fall. She is assisted by Catherine Owens. Samantha Schuster and Tyler Vasko will coach the junior varsity team.

Jeff Ward will head up cross country, assisted by Maret Elgren and Damian Cole. Cyndi Simpson returns as the equestrian coach while Kate O’Donnell and Sarah Schaill run the sailing program.

Slay returns as the volleyball head coach and also coaches the junior varsity team. She is assisted by Donya Amer. Lyric Scott coaches the eighth-grade team and Halee Van Poppel works with the seventh-grade team. Sallie Gray Clayton coaches the sixth-grade team and Marc Simpson and Kevin Lyden work with the fifth-graders.

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First Baptist Hires New AD and Football Coach

By David Shelton • July 30, 2025

By David Shelton Senior Writer Charleston – First Baptist School has new leadership within its football program and athletic department for the coming 2025-26 school year. Kevin Mapp was hired as the new head football coach in the early spring and Jay Godbolt was hired as the new athletic director at the start of the summer. Mapp has extensive coaching experience on both the college and high school levels while also working in law enforcement. First Baptist is his first head coaching position. Mapp last coached defensive linemen at James Island Charter High and has had coaching stints at James Madison, Hampden-Sydney, Georgetown, Marshall, Missouri State and Coastal Carolina. Mapp graduated from James Madison and was a defensive lineman on the 2004 Division I-AAA (now FCS) national championship team. “Coaching has always been my passion,” Mapp said. “Ever since I was playing, I wanted to be a coach. I have always found a way to coach while working in law enforcement. I’ve been fortunate to have had the opportunities to do both.” Mapp has been with the Charleston County police department for the last 10 years. He took some time away from coaching to start a family. “I felt like First Baptist was the perfect fit for me and my family,” Mapp says. “It’s a great opportunity at a great place. The kids here work hard and there is a lot of support from the administration. I’m excited to be the head football coach at First Baptist.” Mapp has hired coordinators on both sides of the ball. Will McCombs , once the head coach of the program, will call the offensive plays. Chris Hart comes over from James Island as the defensive coordinator. “Our numbers are improving and the kids are working hard,” Mapp said. “I feel like we can be a competitive team. It’s year one of the building process.” Godbolt has been a coach and athletic director in the Charleston area for nearly two decades. As the boys basketball coach at Charleston Collegiate, Godbolt coached three state championship teams. He also has been a coach and athletic director at Lowcountry Leadership Academy. Godbolt has more than 450 career victories as a head basketball coach. Current First Baptist basketball coach Antoine Saunders was Godbolt’s assistant at Charleston Collegiate.