Gaffney’s Stays Home With Hiring Of Donnie Littlejohn As New Head Football Coach of the Indians
Gaffney's running back Jaiden McDowell will be back for his senior year this fall.
By Billy G. Baker
Publisher
Gaffney—After former Gaffney head football Dan Jones announced his retirement, even before the 2024 football season has begun, speculation grew in the community that offensive coordinator, and former Gaffney star offensive lineman Donnie Littlejohn, would have the inside track on succeeding Coach Jones; he himself a former Gaffney player who helped maintained the rich tradition of the storied program.
Coach Littlejohn was named the head coach at Gaffney in late January.
During the 1996 and 1997 football season at Gaffney High School, Donnie Littlejohn was an all-state left tackle in the trenches, and after high school he went on to Furman University where he helped the Paladins win two Southern Conference championships.
In his senior season at Furman (2001) Littlejohn earned the coveted Jacobs Blocking award for the Southern Conference. Not too long after college he ventured back home to Gaffney where he became an assistant offensive line coach at his alma mater. A few years later he became the team’s offensive coordinator and over the years he has mentored well over 30 linemen to next level college football.
So, when Coach Jones announced he would be retiring after the 2024 season at Gaffney, Coach Littlejohn decided to apply for the head job and he is day one ready for the challenge of keeping the tradition going that includes a state record 18 state football titles.
“I very much appreciate this opportunity to be the head coach at a place that means the world to me,” said Coach Littlejohn. “I know first- hand about our great tradition of winning championships at Gaffney. Our community expects us to put a championship caliber team on the field each and every season. That will continue be our goal and focus with the program going forward.
“In becoming the head coach, it now means I am taken ownership of the entire team, and I now have to be focused on both sides of the football, plus special teams,” said Coach Littlejohn. “I believe in hiring good people and in letting them have a say in major decisions that affect the areas of the team they are coaching.”
Coach Littlejohn’s first three hires were to elevate former Gaffney player Kevin Phillips to Assistant Head Coach, in addition to his duties of coaching inside linebackers as well as being in charge of assisting the players with recruiting matters.
“Coach Phillips is a former player at Gaffney also, and I know his blood bleeds Black and Gold,” said Coach Littlejohn. “I could not have wanted anyone else to be the assistant head coach.
“It was also important to bring in coordinators with experience, and I am really pleased to be able to work beside Brad Vanhorn, who will serve as our offensive co-Ordinator, after working at South Pointe recently,” said Coach Littlejohn. “I am also very pleased to welcome aboard defensive coordinator Ian Cooper who comes to Gaffney from Myers Park High School in Charlotte.”
Coach Littlejohn said the Indians will maintain their patented 3-4 defense where linebackers are key components to the defense. “We will remain in an up-tempo spread offense with a goal of scoring a lot of points in every game.”
The team will return six starters on offense but only three starters on defense. Despite this heavy graduation the HSSR will rank the Indians number one in Div. II AAAA.
The HSSR has four Gaffney rising seniors in the HSSR 2026 Top 50 list. They are quarterback Jayvon Gilmore (6-5,200) who threw for 2,500 yards last year, Gilmore is a firm commitment to Arkansas. Scotland Dover (6-3, 300) has been committed to Appalachian State but with a coaching change Dover might be open to listening to other schools.
Then running back Jaiden McDowell (5-11, 185) is a top running back returning prospect who battled through through injures his junior season. He returned for the play-offs and performed really well last season. The fourth member of the HSSR rising senior Top 50 list is linebacker Zyon Ratchford (6-4,200) and he was recently offered by Virginia Tech.
Then in the sophomore class you have big time CB/WR Zion Dawkins (5-11, 180) getting interest from schools like Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech, and South Florida among others.
“In my coaching career my goal was to always work hard at developing players and encourage them to be every best they could be,” said Coach Littlejohn. “I tell my players to put in the work and not look for short-cuts.”
