Battery Creek abruptly parts ways with longtime AD John Drafts

John Drafts will not return as Battery Creek’s athletics director next fall, told he won’t be retained in an abrupt parting that ends more than three decades as an institution at both the school and Beaufort County athletics.

Drafts disclosed the news Thursday afternoon, first in a Facebook post and later in a statement, after a final appeal to schools superintendent Jeffrey Moss was turned down. The turmoil began two weeks earlier when Battery Creek principal Ed Burnes told the coach he would not recommend his rehire.

By the time Drafts met with Moss, the job opening already had been advertised on the district website for some 72 hours.

“I held out a little bit of hope, but that was not the case,” Drafts said when contacted via phone.

“It was really one of those deals — I knew it was a long shot, so now I’m kind of glad to be done with it and we’ll move forward.”

Jim Foster, school district spokesman, said Thursday evening the district does not comment publicly on personnel matters.

Drafts, 59, is completing his 33rd year at Battery Creek, first as boys’ basketball coach before adding the AD’s role two years into his tenure. He said Thursday he wanted to work at least one more year, possibly two, and was proceeding under that expectation until March 17.

“When I was told,” he said, “I felt like I had been punched in the gut. I was shocked; I didn’t know how to react. I had no sense whatsoever that this was coming.”

Asked if he was given an explanation, Drafts said: “The only comment I remember is that he wanted to go another direction. We had a discussion, but I’ll keep it at that.”

Drafts has been at Battery Creek since Ronald Reagan was president, taking over the basketball program in 1983 after four years as an assistant at Brookland-Cayce. Even after adding the AD’s job in 1985, he continued to coach until 2010, stepping down after leading the Dolphins to a school-record 24 wins.

He won 343 games as coach, including four region titles and two Region 8-AAA Coach of the Year honors.

Drafts filed retirement papers in 2011, but stayed on under a district plan that allows retirees to remain on the job for an additional five years. After that, the retiree becomes an “at-will” hire with no legal recourse if he isn’t retained.

Drafts’ five-year term under the plan expires June 30.

“So, after 33 years @ BC and 31 years as Athletics’ Director, my run has ended,” Drafts wrote in his statement.

“I want to thank the many supporters who contacted Dr. Moss on my behalf. I especially want to thank all of the student-athletes and coaches that I have had the privilege of being a part of the BC Athletics’ team with since 1983. They are too numerous to name and I’m sure I would leave somebody out, so I won’t even begin that process.”

Drafts added that he hopes to continue in another role elsewhere in the district, or perhaps working with a charter or private school.

In the meantime, he still has another two months heading up Dolphins’ athletics. He will not be involved in hiring a new football coach, following last week’s resignation of Jim Shuman to spend more time with his ailing parents.

“It’s not the way I want to end it,” Drafts said. “I’ll do my job the best I can up until sometime in June. It’s going to be weird, but it is what it is.”

Within a couple of hours, Drafts said, he heard from “numerous” friends, former students and colleagues to express their disbelief and wish him the best.

“I’m proud of what we have accomplished in BC Athletics, and Battery Creek High will always be a big part of who I am,” he wrote.

This story was originally published March 31, 2016 at 6:30 PM with the headline "Battery Creek abruptly parts ways with longtime AD John Drafts."