Marcus Dilligard new athletic director, boys basketball head coach for Hilton Head Christian
Ron Peduzzi returns as football head coach with veteran staff
Bluffton – Marcus Dilligard is the new athletic director and boys basketball head coach for Hilton Head Christian Academy.
Dilligard takes over as AD from JW Wilkerson and in basketball from Bryan Brown.
Dilligard most recently served as athletic director and boys head coach at Grace Christian Academy in Knoxville, Tennessee, where he led an athletic department that included 17 programs, more than 60 teams and 85 staff members.
Dilligard heard about the job openings through HHCA baseball head coach Jay Scarbro. The two worked together at Grace Christian.
“The opening came up and Jay reached out to me to see if I would be interested,” Dilligard said. “I talked to their people and it worked out.
“lt’s a great place. The people are genuine, they love God, and they work hard. I believe some special things are getting ready to happen beyond what has already taken place here.”
Dilligard inherits a team that went 6-18 last season. He wants to use the basketball program to help build the lives of the student-athletes.
“I want them to play hard, to play hard, to compete and win,” he said. “I want to use the game as a tool for life. We want to develop great camaraderie, expect excellence and the rest takes care of itself.”
At Hilton Head Christian, Dilligard will inherit an athletic department that has 18 programs.
Ron Peduzzi returns as the football head coach. Scarbro has led the baseball team to two of its three consecutive state championships.
Chloe Holtz will coach volleyball, Melanie Hilton will handle boys and girls swimming, John Houpt is the strength and performance coach, Julie Newlands will be back as softball head coach, Katie Likins is the cheer coach, Laurie White will coach up the girls soccer team, while Jacob Deuel will coach boys soccer, Mike Spangler is the boys golf head coach, Parker Collins is the girls golf head coach, Matt Payton is back for his second year as girls basketball head coach, Aaron Mau will be in charge of the boys and girls cross country teams and the boys and girls track and field teams, and Patricio Arquez is the head coach for boys and girls tennis.
Peduzzi has a veteran coaching staff. Five of the seven on this year’s staff were with the Eagles last year.
“Our staff is experienced with over 150 years of playing and coaching combined,” Peduzzi said. “We hold to our mission of providing the necessary tools for our young men in our football program – based on Christian faith, love of family and mentoring to compete every Friday night.”
Matt Smith returns as the defensive coordinator and assistant head coach. He has been coaching with Peduzzi since the 2017 season. Houpt, a former head coach at Bluffton High, will be the offensive coordinator.
Shatone Powers, a former wide receiver at Northen Illinois, will coach wide receivers and defensive backs. Ronnie Coolbaugh will once again coach the defensive line and will coach running backs on offense. Luke Guess, a former offensive lineman at The Citadel, will once again coach the offensive line. Also working with the offensive line is newcomer Wyatt Hill, a former United States Marine Corps staff sergeant.
The other newcomer to the staff is a very familiar face, in particular to Peduzzi. He is John Patrick Peduzzi, the coach’s son.
John Patrick just graduated from Washington & Jefferson College where he was an NCAA Division III All-American wide receiver in 2025. He will coach wide receivers and defensive backs.
