LDHS coaching search reaches next phase

The search for Chris Liner’s replacement as head football coach at Laurens District High School has been ongoing since soon after Liner’s departure for Greenwood in December.

LDHS Athletic Director Tommy Spires said the application process for the vacant position ended Monday, and he hoped the search would move to its next phases quickly. He said he would like to name a new Raiders head coach in the next couple of weeks.

“I feel like we’ve got some good applicants,” Spires said. “But we’re going to make the best decision for our kids.”

Spires said he expects to narrow the field of applicants to finalists along with LDHS Principal Tina Faulkner after reviewing the stack of resumes he has in a file this week. After that, the finalists will be brought in for face-to-face interviews as soon as their schedules allow. From there, Spires said he expects to move quickly.

Liner, who was named Region 1-5A Coach of the Year and state Class 5A state Coach of the Year after guiding the Raiders to its second region title in four years and the second round of the state playoffs, resigned from LDHS after six years to return to his high school alma mater where he began his coaching career.

With the Raiders’ recent success, and a move to Class 4A in 2020 instead of being among the smallest schools competing in the larger Class 5A, the LDHS job should be attractive to experienced coaches.

While the decision will include any candidates’ track record on the field, Spires said the ultimate decision on the hire will go beyond x’s and o’s.

“We want somebody who can come in and build a program and be our face in the community,” he said. “We all know that now being a coach is a lot more than just being a coach. It’s important to build the entire program from the middle schools up, and for us it’s important for our coach to be out in the community representing us.”