Spartanburg Day Athletics Led By Solid Group of Quality Coaches

By Billy G. Baker

Publisher

Spartanburg—There is no doubt that the Spartanburg Day School, despite being a small SCISA athletic program, has put together a great group of coaches all focused on mentoring the student athletes they feel honored to coach.

Spartanburg Day School athletic director Mike Cerino tells the HSSR, “We are very proud of our Program Heads at Spartanburg Day School,” he said. “Certainly, they have achieved a lot in their various sports, personally; that much is clear. We have a profile for sure

“We like teacher/coaches who have played their sport at a high level collegiately, and/or professionally, and who are vested in the over-all development and well-being of their players,” said Coach Cerino.

“That means this team of coaches we’ve put together are committed to excellence across all aspects of the student experience at our school,” Coach Cerino. “What are students learn from them on the field, or on the court, is amplified because they are invested in our students lives at school as well. When excellent coaches invest in excellent student athletes, we believe excellent outcomes will follow. That’s why we have gone all-in  in our teacher-coach model and setting up our program for sustainable and enduring success.”

Coach Cerino came to Spartanburg Day after 27 years at Limestone College on April, 18 2023 where he served primarily as vice-president of intercollegiate athletics at the former Div. II school. In 2028 Cerino was named the Under Armour Div. II Athletic Director of the Year.

A main focus of the Griffin’s athletic program is the excitement generated around the school starting a varsity football program in 2026. To that goal Patrick Moffitt was hired in May of 2024 to start a football “B” team comprised of around 28 sixth-8^th graders. The program will elevate into a junior varsity program this Fall and already over 36 players are working out for the upcoming season.

Moffitt had previously worked at the St. Andrews School in Middleton, Del where he served as the head football coach. While at the St. Andrews School, Moffitt doubled participation, and led the school to their first play-off appearance in two decades.

Moffitt has a Master’s Degree from Norwich University. While on the football team at Williams College he was a decorated quarterback who started for three years and he led his team to a 20-4 record over his tenure. He was named the NESCAC Offensive Player of the Year his senior season in college among numerous honors he earned.

This summer, two football assistants were hired to help Coach Moffitt with the expanding junior varsity program. Chris Cormier was the offensive coordinator at tradition rich St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Florida last year. In college Cormier was a four- year quarterback letterman at West Virginia Wesleyan.

The other new assistant is Andrew Vaught, who will coach the offensive line. He played college football at Toledo and Wofford. Vaught played on three high school state championship teams at Roanoke Catholic (Va.) and he was also voted a top Div. III VISAA offensive lineman in college.

In May, Spartanburg Day announced the hiring of head boy’s and girls’ basketball coaches for the upcoming season.   Elizabeth Konradi will be the Program Head and Varsity Coach for the girls’ basketball program and Caleb Jordan as Program Head and Varsity Coach for the boys’ program. Additionally, the school welcomes Sharon Dillon as Coordinator of Player Development and Assistant Coach for the girls’ program.

Coach Konradi was a stand-out forward at the Episcopal School of Dallas where she set the school record for blocks in a season (135) and totaled 273 blocks and 352 rebounds in her career. She was a First Team All-Southwest Preparatory Conference selection and continued her playing career at the University of the South (Sewanee).

Coach Jordan is a graduate of Charlotte Latin School, and he began his coaching career at his alma mater. He served as an assistant coach and played a key role in player development within one of the Southeast’s most respected independent school basketball programs. As a player, Jordan was a four-year starter at Roanoke College, where he earned multiple All-ODAC honors.

Veteran head tennis coach Bob Allsbrook returns to the Griffins and he has led team to two straight SCISA state titles over highly regarded Hilton Head Prep.

Coach Allsbrook is a USPTR Pro 1 Tennis Professional. He has been named South Carolina Pro of the Year and has been ranked as high as #2 in the USA as a player. He was ranked on the ATP Tour and has been inducted into the Spartanburg Day School Athletic Hall of Fame, the Appalachian State University Athletic Hall of Fame, and the South Carolina Tennis Hall of Fame.

Brigid Duesterhaus returns as both the Athletic Media Coordinator along with being Swimming Program Head. She attended Millikin University where she competed in both NCAA swimming and NCAA triathlon. Over her 4-year collegiate career she was an All-American triathlete, Scholar All-American triathlete, and Conference Champion swimmer.

Joel Sansbury returns as the Cross-Country Program head. He has been a part of the SDS community since 2021. Sansbury is also the SDS Equipment, Transportation, and Facilities Coordinator. He coaches both Varsity and Middle School Cross Country and assists with the Track & Field team.

Gregg Nibert returns as the SDS head Varsity Boys Basketball Coach. He brought home the SCISA AA State Championship in 2022 and was also named the SCISA AA South Carolina Coach of the Year.

Prior to coming to SDS, Coach Nibert had been head basketball coach at Presbyterian College for 28 years, assistant Basketball Coach at Furman and Rice Universities, along with PE Teacher and Assistant Football & Basketball Coach, an Area Representative for Fellowship of Christian Athletes at Spartanburg Christian Academy.

During his coaching career, Coach Nibert has received the National Association of Coaches “Guardians of the Game” Service Award, Final Four; Fellowship of Christian Athletes John Lotz Barnabas Award, Final Four; Ed Venture Children’s museum “Great Friend to Kids” Award; and the Duke Energy Citizen & Service Award. He was also inducted into the “Hall of Fame” at Grove City High School in Grove City, Ohio in 2019.

Travis “Gookie” Dawkins returns as the SDS head baseball coach. Coach Dawkins graduated from Newberry High in 1997 and he selected in the 2nd round of the baseball draft by the Cincinnati Reds where he went on to play 1997-2003. Dawkins played on 10 MLB teams spanning his career, including the Cincinnati Reds, Los Angeles Dodgers, Kansas City Royals, Chicago Cubs, Detroit Tigers, Pittsburgh Pirates, Seattle Mariners, Philadelphia Phillies, Florida Marlins, and Chicago White Sox. Gookie was a member of the 1999 baseball team that won Silver at the Pan-American Games in Winnipeg, Canada, as well as being a member of the 2000 Olympic Baseball Team that won the Gold medal in Sydney, Australia.

To this day, Gookie shares his love for baseball as an instructor and business owner of Carolina Wheelhouse Academy.

Todd White has been hired as the new Program Head for Golf. White, a distinguished golfer and educator, began his tenure at the school on July 1.

White's is a graduate of Furman University where he earned All-American honors and was inducted into the Furman Athletics Hall of Fame in 2003. His impressive career in amateur golf includes competing in the 1995 United States Open, playing in 37 USGA Championships, and representing Team USA on the victorious 2013 Walker Cup team. White has also claimed victory in the United States Senior Amateur and British Senior Amateur championships.

Jennifer Spearman has been Director of College Counseling at Spartanburg Day School going on three years and she is also the Griffins head cheer coach. She enjoys working with the students as they make plans for where their journey will take them once they leave SDS.

Graham Brewer returns as the boy’s head soccer coach. Coach Brewer has played soccer for 20 years, on many levels from youth soccer to high school and still continues to compete in adult leagues currently.

Graham has a deep love for the sport that he hopes to share and expand through the community. He is excited to continue to learn and grow as a coach while creating a culture in boys’ soccer that reflects the values and expectations at SDS.

Emily  Rossi returns to SDS as the head girls’ soccer coach this season. Coach Rossi is a former jayvee soccer coach at Broome High School from 2008-2015. Not only has Coach Rossi been a coach for ten years, but she has been playing soccer for over thirty years.



Isaiah Michl will begin his first year as a school counselor and Track & Field Program Head. Isaiah attended The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign where he competed in Track & Field as a sprinter and hurdler. He competed in events such as 400m Hurdles, sprint relays, and other sprint events. Isaiah was awarded Academic All-Big Ten multiple times over his college career.