Hilton Head Prep hires football coach from state title-winning Columbia school
Dustin Etheridge was part of a state championship football team this season. Now, he will have a chance to build one of his own.
Hilton Head Prep announced Wednesday that Etheridge would be the school’s new football coach. He replaces Dave Adams, who announced in November he was retiring after more than 30 years of coaching.
Etheridge was outside linebackers coach at Hammond School in Columbia this year. The Skyhawks won the SCISA Class 3A championship this season for the fourth straight year and have been the dominant program in SCISA for the past two decades.
“Being at Hammond, you get to see how things are done the right way. I am thankful for Jon Wheeler (head coach) and Jeff Barnes (athletic director) for giving me the opportunity to see what it takes to run a program,” Etheridge told The Island Packet. “The opportunity at Hilton Head Prep doesn’t come along too much. They are in kind of a rebuilding mode. But you get to come in, put your stamp on it and I am excited about that.”
Etheridge hopes to bring an exciting brand of football to HHP and implement what he has learned at his different coaching stops along the way.
Before Hammond, Etheridge coached at SCISA schools Heathwood Hall for two years and Ben Lippen for one. He also was an assistant coach at Newberry College and student defensive assistant at South Carolina under defensive coordinator Ellis Johnson.
Etheridge played high school football at Lexington High School.
Hilton Head Prep started out 6-2 this year before losing its final three games of the season. The Dolphins lost to Williamsburg Academy, 49-15, in the first round of the SCISA 2A playoffs.
Hilton Head Prep will be moving to SCISA Class 3A in realignment which begins for the 2022-23 school year.
Etheridge plans to make the move from Columbia to Hilton Head in spring or early summer but will be around the program a lot going into spring practice.
“We are extremely excited to have Dustin as part of our Hilton head Prep family and football staff. He brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to our program and I admire his desire to build on our past but also cultivate a new energy and culture around our football program,” Hilton Head Prep athletic director Erik Mathisen said in a statement.
SC High School Football Openings
School — Former Coach — New Coach
AC Flora — Dustin Curtis— Ken Floyd
Airport — Kirk Burnett — TBA
Bamberg-Ehrhardt — Robert Williams — Corey Crosby
Batesburg-Leesville — Gary Adams — Gene Cathcart
Ben Lippen — Stephen Cagle — Bennett Weigle
Bethune Bowman — Glen Darby — Cody McNeal
Blackville-Hilda — Brandon Isaac — TBA
Bluffton — John Houpt— Hayden Gregory
Boiling Springs — Rick Tate — Matt Reel
Dorman — Dave Guttshall — Dustin Curtis
Dreher — Treigh Sullivan - TBA
Hilton Head Prep — Dave Adams — Dustin Etheridge
Lamar — Chad Wilkes — TBA
Lewisville — Will Mitchell — Leon Boulware
Newberry — Phil Strickland — Cedrick Jeter
North Augusta — Jim Bob Bryant — Matt Quinn
North Myrtle Beach — Matt Reel — TBA
Oceanside Collegiate — Joe Call — Chad Wilkes
South Pointe — DeVonte Holloman — TBA
Stall — Joe Bessinger — Benjamin Lailson
Strom Thurmond — Antwaun Hillary — Andrew Webb
Travelers Rest — Ray Gould — TBA
Westwood — Matt Quinn — TBA
Whitmire — Charlie Jenkins — TBA
