Williamsburg hires Chris Rowland as football defensive coordinator, boys basketball head coach

           Kingstree – The Williamsburg Academy football program made it to a state championship game for the fifth straight season last year, beating Colleton Prep Academy 36-14 to claim the SCISA Class A state title.

           The Stallions snapped a 2-year title game losing streak in their first year under head coach Will Furse. Having lost only six seniors from the 11-1 team, Williamsburg is certainly in position to pull off a sixth straight tittle appearance as well as a repeat.

           As far as the coaching staff goes, there are some changes. There is one addition but none of the coaches from last year have left.

           The newcomer to the staff is Chris Rowland, and he will step into an important role as the defensive coordinator. Rowland, who will also coach defensive backs, was at East Clarendon High School the past two seasons. He was the special teams coordinator as well as the secondary coach last season.

           As the new defensive coordinator, Rowland will have some big shoes to fill. The Stallions allowed just 157 points last season under the guidance of veteran coach Ken Kellahan.

Kellahan, who won a state title as the Williamsburg head coach himself, will have a new assignment. He will be in charge of the offensive line this season.

John Floyd returns to coach the defensive linemen and tight ends, while Chase McFaddin will be back as the junior varsity head coach and coach wide receivers on the varsity. Sam Plowden will be in charge of the running backs and outside linebackers, and Britton Morris will coach the inside linebackers and assist with the offensive line.

           Furse said he has a great relationship with his coaching staff, and the members of the staff genuinely like each other as well.

“I think our staff, we get along really well,” Furse said. “They are all good coaches, but more importantly, they are all good people. We all enjoy spending time together, which is great. It makes work not seem like work.”

Furse said he doesn’t sense any difference in the way his coaching staff has handled this offseason compared to how it prepared for last year’s championship run.

“It’s pretty similar to what it was last year,” Furse said. “We have to once again deal with high expectations, and we’re having to tell our players that just because we had a good season last year, that doesn’t mean it will be the case this year. We have to continue to put the work in. Our coaches have done a good job of keeping everyone locked in.”

Rowland will also fill an important role for the Stallions away from the football field. He will be the head coach for the boys junior varsity and varsity basketball teams.

Rowland replaces Kevin Burrows, who stepped down after nine seasons due to conflicts with his work schedule.

Rowland and Furse were classmates at Laurence Manning and attended college together as well. Furse is excited to see what his friend does with the program.

“We worked together in the past, and I knew he was hungry for a varsity boys basketball job,” Furse said. “He started coaching at Laurence Manning (Academy, where he played for now Williamsburg girls head coach) Will Epps, and he’s been an assistant at East Clarendon the last couple of years.

“I knew he wanted to be a head coach, so when the job opened up I told him about it. I’m looking forward to see how he does.”

Rowland inherits a team that went 12-12 and won its opening game in the AAA state tournament. The Stallions only lost one player in their rotation to graduation.

“With Chris coming on we’ve had a really good summer,” Furse said. “I think it will show up in the wins and losses column this year.”

Epps is preparing for his third season at Williamsburg as not only the girls basketball head coach but the volleyball head coach as well.

He guided the girls basketball team to an 11-17 record last year after winning just four games in his first season. Like the boys, the Stallion girls also won their state tournament opener.

The baseball and softball programs will have a pair of second-year coaches in Morris and Jada Cox, respectively.

Morris led Williamsburg to a 20-4 record and the AAA state championship series. The Stallions were swept by Calhoun Academy in the best-of-3 series.

The softball team finished with a 15-11 record and reached the championship round in its bracket in the AAA state tournament.

“They both did a great job this past season,” Furse said of Morris and Cox. “She did a really good job with the softball team even though you didn’t necessarily see it with the record.”

Williamsburg will have a new girls tennis head coach in Claire Wise, who has been the middle school girls basketball head coach. Wise replaces Mac Kirby.

McFaddin will once again be the boys and girls track and field head coach, Ned Hemingway will be the boys golf coach, Pat Wildes will coach the boys and girls cross country teams, and Lucie Ann Smunk will be the cheerleading coach.

Furse thinks big things await the Williamsburg athletic teams in the 2026-27 school year.

“I’m extremely excited about all of the programs,” he said. “We’ve got a lot of young coaches who are hard workers, relentless teachers of their sports, and that’s what it takes. With practice good things will happen.”

If Williamsburg is to repeat as a state champion in football, it will do so at the AA level following the bi-annual reclassification. The other schools in AA football are Colleton Prep, St. John’s Christian Academy, defending AA state runner-up Pee Dee Academy, Greenwood Christian School, Orangeburg Prep, Patrick Henry Academy, Spartanburg Day School, Calhoun Academy and Cross Schools.

Williamsburg will compete at AAA in all the other sports.