Former Gilbert head coach Chad Leaphart joins Saluda football staff
Tigers head coach Greg Woerner was part of Leaphart's staff at Swansea and Gilbert
Saluda – The ties between Greg Woerner and Chad Leaphart run deep. Before becoming the football head coach at Saluda High School last season, Woerner had been a part of Leaphart’s successful staffs at both Gilbert and Swansea.
Now, with Leaphart “out of a job,” Woerner is returning the favor to his mentor.
Leaphart, who just retired as the Lexington 1 district athletic director, will be on the football staff and teach at Saluda in the upcoming school year. Needless to say, Woerner is happy to have Leaphart on board.
“I was on Coach Leaphart’s staff at Gilbert where I coached quarterbacks and helped install and run the offense,” Woerner said. “We kept in touch after he moved to the district office as the district athletic director, and one day he expressed interest in getting back into coaching. It just so happened that we had an opening on staff and we were able to bring him on.”
Leaphart posted a 41-27 record at Swansea, leading the Tigers to five state playoff appearances in his six years. He moved to Gilbert for the 2017 season. He would remain at his alma mater for eight seasons, posting a 78-18 record.
Under Leaphart, the Indians won four region titles and 10 or more games in a season five times. The Indians made it to the AAA lower state championship game in 2020. Gilbert made the playoffs every year under Leaphart and won at least one playoff game each year.
Leaphart will coach running backs while his son, Gray Leaphart, will join the staff as well as the tight ends coach. Gray just graduated from Newberry College, where he played tight end.
They will serve on offensive staff that has Thomas Coleman back for his second year as offensive coordinator. He will coach the offensive line along with Ed Chariker, while Woerner will handle the quarterbacks and Daniel Stone will coach the wide receivers.
“Offensively, we’ve added two new coaches who know the offensive scheme so they have fit right in,” Woerner said.
The Tigers will have a new defensive coordinator in Mark Minchew. He helped coach linebackers last season, but will be in charge of defensive backs this year.
Tommy Strickland will coach the linebackers, Reggie Philllips will coach outside linebackers and strong safeties, and Dedrick Payton, the other newcomer to the coaching staff, will be in charge of the defensive line.
“We’ve gpt a new DC, and a new coach on the defensive side of the ball and moved some of the other guys around,” Woerner said. “But they’ve done a great job installing the new schemes and helping the guys learn it.”
Woerner can’t wait to see how things pan out with the new staff.
“Yeah, I’m really excited about this staff that we’ve put together,” he said. “They’ve done a great job getting this team ready for the season ahead. I feel like the staff has gelled really well, and I hope that helps the team achieve our goals.”
The Tigers went 6-6 in Woerner’s first season, reaching the second round of the AA state playoffs. However, they were so close to having a tremendous season.
The Tigers were 2-3 in region play, but they were 11 points from an undefeated
region season. They lost the region games in succession, falling to Ninety Six 28-
27, to eventual state champion Strom Thurmond 20-14 and to Batesburg-Leesville 35-34 in overtime.
