Balkcom named interim football coach at Ridgeland-Hardeeville

Ridgeland-Hardeeville has named Thomas Balkcom as its interim football coach.

Balkcom was a defensive coordinator this season for the Jaguars and teaches physical education at the school. He takes over for Jahmaal Nelson, who was let go after the season when the school decided to go in a different direction.

Ridgeland-Hardeeville went 3-6 this season.

According to a school release, the new head football coach will be named before the beginning of the 2018-19 football season.

“I have a love and passion for coaching the sport of football and developing young people that I believe are unmatched anywhere in the world,” Balkcom said. “The ability to play the sport of football and the opportunities it afforded me contributed to saving my life. It is only fair that I give back to this great sport and life developing tool.”

In 2016, Balkcom was the head coach at Wilson High School and went 3-6 in his lone season at the Florence school. Before that, he was offensive coordinator at Clarke Central in Athens, Georgia and coached on the collegiate level at Morris Brown, Central Florida and Savannah State.

Balkcom played in college at Georgia Tech and was member of the Yellow Jackets’ national title team.

This story was originally published January 24, 2018 at 4:13 PM with the headline "Balkcom named interim football coach at Ridgeland-Hardeeville."