Coward begins 4th Season As Athletic Director At Dillon High
Dillon graduate Keith Coward (2004) is beginning his 4th season as the athletic director in the tradition rich Wildcat athletic program.
By Billy G. Baker
Publisher
Dillon—Dillon graduate Keith Coward (2004) is beginning his 4th season as the athletic director in the tradition rich Wildcat athletic program, and as usual there is little turnover with the varsity head coaches at the school coming into the 2026-27 school year.
Dillon has come down to Class AA with the realignment this season after competing as a AAA program this past few years. They are in Region 6-AA along with East Clarendon, Lake City, Manning, Marlboro County and Waccamaw. Dillon will start the 2026 football season on August, 21 hosting Camden High.
Coach Coward is also the head baseball coach at Dillon. He is very pleased with the Wildcats having one of their most successful baseball seasons in a while as they finished at 17-8 and won the region title. They also won four playoff games in the SCHSL AAA playoffs and they were eliminated from the playoffs with a one run loss to Oceanside Collegiate who went on to compete for a state title.
Coch Coward was a four-time al state baseball player at Dillon and after graduation he pitched all four years at Erskine College. He became the head baseball coach during the 2014-15 school year. He is assisted by Austin Moody, Coley Bohachic, Jamie Coleman, Pierce Watson and Nelson Green.
Asked what he now understands about being an athletic director, that he did not fully understand when he got the job three years ago, Coach Coward responded, “I have learned that the world will not fall apart if you do not make a perfect decision,” he said. “Sometimes you think you are making a perfect decision but it does not always work out that way. It will not get you fired either.”
Coach Coward gives Dillion Area Four Superintendent Ray Rogers a lot of credit for his advice on many issues since Rogers hired him three years ago. “Mr. Rogers is a great Superintendent, and his door is always open for me,” said Coach Coward. “I have never gone to him for advice when I didn’t feel better afterwards. He has been very helpful in my role as the athletic director for Dillon and Lake View High Schools.”
Coach Coward has a unique perspective on the challenges facing all high school coaches. “As coaches, in realty, we have to rely on what the community brings us in terms of talent within the players on our teams,” said Coach Coward. “I do not mean this in a negative way. The new one-time transfer rule can help you, or hurt you, depending on what side the fence you are on.
“Your challenge is player development, and having athletes willing to work hard to get better,” he said. “We certainly have had our fair share of those type athletes at Dillon and Lake View, especially within our football program. Coaches just have to work hard and coach their athletes the best they can.”
Dillon High has won a total of 8 football state titles, seven under retired Hall of Fame coach Jackie Hayes who retired after the 2020 season.
Coach Kelvin Roller succeeded Coach Hayes at the start of the 2021 season and through five seasons Coach Roller is (51-11) with four region titles.
The Dillon football team returns offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Jacob Shumate, a former HSSR Mr. Baseball. Shumate was drafted in the first round by the Atlanta Braves out of high school.
Other offensive assistants include Splinter Spivey who coaches tight ends. John Parker is the offensive line coach while former SC State all-American and Washington Red Skin all-pro receiver Charlie Brown coaches’ receivers at Dillon. Leo Phillips rounds out the offensive coaches as the running backs coach.
The defensive coordinator for the Wildcats is Will Clark, who came to the team a few years ago from Scotland County High in N.C. Bill Young works with the defensive line and Sam Grooms mentors the defensive ends. Jamie Coleman and Damu Ford team up to coach inside linebackers and former Dillon stand-out Lee Page coaches the Wildcat secondary.
The Dillon junior varsity is head coached once again by Kevin Roberts. Austin Moody is the offensive coordinator and Bryce King works with the offensive line. Twin Lester is the linebacker/secondary coach.
Alan McLaurin, long time receivers coach at Dillon, retired after the 2025 season after 33 seasons.
In the past 30 years Dillon High has had two high profile athletes go on and play professionally. Former Wildcat pitcher Jamie Callahan was a second- round draft pick of the Boston Red Sox in 2012 (87th pick over-all) after he was named the Gatorade Player of the year from South Carolina that season. In 2004, former Dillon and Clemson stand-out Derrick Hamilton was drafted in the third round by the 49’ers.
The Dillon volleyball program will again be head coached by Johnna Jones, starting her 6th season. Dillon is starting a cross-country program for the first time in memory and Coach Coward said he is in the process of final interviews to fill that new position.
The boys’ basketball program will once again be head coached by Dillon graduate Brian Grice who had an outstanding career at SC State after finishing high school. Girl’s basketball coach James McMillian begins his 11th season as the Dillon girls’ basketball coach, and his team is expected to challenge for an AA state title this season. His team played for a AAA state title two years ago, losing out to Walhalla in the title game.
Randy Gray just might the longest serving head varsity coach at Dillon and he returns to head coach the boy’s track program this season. Sam Grooms is back to head coach the girl’s track team.
Stevie Grice will begin his 8th season as the head softball coach at Dillon and his young team made a deep playoff run this season. Just a few years ago the softball team made it to the state title game before losing out to Seneca in a third game.
Dillon has a co-ed soccer varsity team and they are coached by Karla Silver who will begin her third season with the program.
The Dillon High Principal is Tim Gibbes. “Mr. Gibbes is very supportive of athletics at Dillon High,” said Coach Coward. “He has two sons in our high school. One plays football and soccer and the other son runs cross country and is a member of the track team.”
Under Coward’s tenure, the baseball and softball fields at both Dillon and lake View have had covered batting cages installed. The gym floor at Dillon High has been replaced along with new seats being installed. The track has been resurfaced as well.
“Our next major project is to get our Dillon gym air conditioned,” said Coach Coward.
Coach Coward also wanted to thank Brandi Huggins, the head softball coach at Lake View who handles day-to-day athletic matters at her school. “She is a fantastic person and her help with athletic matters at lake View High is greatly appreciated,” said Coach Coward.
Coach Coward wanted to thank the football press crew on Friday nights along with the chain crew and the tunnel volunteers. The public address announcer is Coley Bohachic. John Dove, Daryl Miller, Pierce Watson, and Dwayne Buckner also help out in the press box with various assignments.
The chain gang crew and tunnel volunteers include Gene Hill, Brenden Griffey, Jimmy Tanner, Roger Cox and Steve Zander.
Coach Coward also wanted to extend a high five to Hall of Fame football sideline psychologist “Ma” German and world-renowned supported McAdoo Bethea.
